Giant anteaters are sexually dimorphic (with two distinct gender forms): males are larger than females. They are dark gray with black-and-white shoulder stripes. Their defining features are their long, narrow head, 24-inch tongue, and long, bushy tail. They do not have teeth, though their second and third fingers have a sharp, powerful claw about 1.5 to 7.5 inches long.

The most significant threat to their survival is habitat loss.

• They are listed on Appendix II of CITES
• Listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).
• World Association of Zoos and Aquariums