On the grasslands of South America, the giant anteater leads a similar lifestyle to the aardvark of Africa. An expert at ripping open ants' and termites' nests, it inserts its long, narrow snout so deep inside the hole that its tubular tongue can reach the very centre of the colony. Flicking its tongue in and out nearly three times a second, it may consume no fewer than 30,000 insects in a single day.