Why don't anteaters get sick? Because they're full of anty-bodies!

October 31, 2007 8:50 AM

Taking care of an incredibly alien-looking, yet impossibly cute anteater isn't easy — in fact, it's a lot of aard verk!
posted by dmd (26 comments total)

They really are cute. Especially the way they climb up the doorway to hang out.
posted by bassjump at 9:04 AM on October 31, 2007

Wow. Bring on the LOL.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:08 AM on October 31, 2007

But what do they taste like?
posted by blue_beetle at 9:08 AM on October 31, 2007

She dresses it up. *jaw hangs open*
posted by sidereal at 9:10 AM on October 31, 2007

Get out.
posted by boo_radley at 9:13 AM on October 31, 2007

The gross part is the food. Icky slop. Which they lick off their claws.

It's much more appealing when they're eating fruit. Or even ants, for pete's sake.
posted by bassjump at 9:16 AM on October 31, 2007

They look adorable in action too.
posted by fleetmouse at 9:18 AM on October 31, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I thought they ate cats.
posted by maudlin at 9:18 AM on October 31, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Any post with a pun like it's a lot of aard verk just has to be favorited.

Canded? Candied? I CAN DID? LOLVARKS.

Would be truly AWW worthy except for those terrifying talons.

Trick or Treat, I ARE ALF.
posted by nickyskye at 9:20 AM on October 31, 2007

maudlin: those are cateaters. Common mistake.
posted by boo_radley at 9:20 AM on October 31, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Cute, sure. Alien, maybe. But anteaters are no pangolins, that's for sure.
posted by dersins at 9:27 AM on October 31, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

It's cute. And disturbing. That tongue! Those claws! Clearly not a pet for just anyone.
posted by tommasz at 9:46 AM on October 31, 2007

yikes dersins, those pangolins, anteaters with giant snake scales. yeesh.
posted by nickyskye at 10:05 AM on October 31, 2007

Meh. It's no hiccupping porcupine.
posted by Reggie Digest at 11:02 AM on October 31, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Awesome! She's the author of one of my all-time favorite YouTube vids: "Anteater eating a creamcycle". It's mesmerizing.
posted by zarq at 11:06 AM on October 31, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Anteater eating a creamcycle

There are at least two things wrong with this.
posted by Reggie Digest at 11:16 AM on October 31, 2007

Yeah, I know. I didn't correct her spelling of Creamsicle. :)
posted by zarq at 11:24 AM on October 31, 2007

Any post with a pun like it's a lot of aard verk just has to be favorited.

Anteaters and aardvarks aren't related! God!
posted by Citizen Premier at 11:36 AM on October 31, 2007

Lady, there appears to be something seriously wrong with your dog!
posted by loquacious at 12:21 PM on October 31, 2007

Nope. Anteater = Order Myrmecophagidae, Aardvark = Order Tubilodontidae. I think. Anyway they have tubilodont teeth, and they are only found in Africa, while anteaters are South and Central American species. Pangolins (Order Philodota) are found in both Africa and Asia. For some reason people seem to confuse these species. Throw in armadillos and everyone seems to be addled as to which is related to whom.
posted by caution live frogs at 12:25 PM on October 31, 2007

Anteaters!!! My favorite!

I scanned an article I found a few years ago about a woman who kept a (giant) anteater as a pet in the early 50s. The 'then and now' aspect is interesting.

Diabetics beware -- features an anteater pulling a chimp in a wagon --

Page 1
Page 2 (top)
Page 2 (bottom)
Page 3 (top)
Page 3 (bottom)
posted by Marit at 2:23 PM on October 31, 2007

It actually says there's no relation between anteaters and aarvarks in the second "lot of aard verk" link

any relation to aardvarks?
No. We are most closely related to sloths and armadillos we share our own order with them and true anteaters have our own family. Others are mere imitations sharing a similar diet.

I think the funnyawful pun was the reason aardvark came into the picture. Like anty-bodies, nyuck nyuck.

Aardvarks are weird looking. Like an anteater but with a pig snout and kangaroo ears.

Amazing to watch that anteater having ice cream. What a tongue! whoa.
posted by nickyskye at 2:30 PM on October 31, 2007

Aardvarks also have a cool theme song
posted by briank at 5:57 PM on October 31, 2007

Multiple theme songs, apparently!
posted by djwudi at 1:17 PM on November 1, 2007

What...
Where do you...
How can I get one of these?
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 1:49 PM on November 1, 2007

OH MY GOD THIS IS WRONG ON INNUMERABLE LEVELS
posted by joeclark at 7:01 PM on November 1, 2007