Wildlife Conservation Society has published findings from a 25-year camera-trap study showing that giant anteaters in Bolivia adjust their activity to higher temperatures by becoming more active during cooler nighttime hours. The research, led by WCS Bolivia with authors Guido Ayala and Maria Viscarra, identifies forest patches within tropical savannas as important thermal refuges for the species. Drawing on a quarter century of monitoring across multiple Bolivian landscapes, the study also found anteaters were recorded more frequently in savannas interspersed with forest islands than in continuous Amazon rainforest. The results make a strong case for conserving connected natural savannas and forest habitats as climate warming, fires and land conversion place further pressure on the vulnerable mammal.
A Quarter Century Of Evidence
Published in Xenarthra, the research is described as the largest camera-trap study undertaken on this naturally rare species. It examines giant anteater activity patterns and relative abundance across tropical grasslands and forests in Bolivia, providing a long-term view of how animals are responding to environmental conditions.
Camera traps enabled the research team to compare anteater records across distinct ecosystems over an extended period. This kind of monitoring offers a valuable evidence base for conservation planning because it tracks wildlife behaviour in the places where habitat loss and climatic pressure are occurring.
Dr. Robert Wallace, Senior Conservation Scientist for WCS Bolivia and lead author of the study, said:
“This study demonstrates the tremendous value of camera trap surveys and long-term wildlife monitoring,”
Nighttime Activity In Savannas
The study found that giant anteaters shift their activity patterns in savannas as temperatures rise, becoming increasingly active at night when conditions are cooler. The behavioural adjustment points to the direct relationship between heat exposure and the species’ use of time and habitat.
Forest patches are particularly important within this setting. Researchers identify them as thermal refuges that can help giant anteaters cope with heat, a role likely to become more prominent as climate warming affects the tropical landscapes of Bolivia.
Dr. Robert Wallace, Senior Conservation Scientist for WCS Bolivia and lead author of the study, said:
“By studying giant anteaters across decades and in different ecosystems, we can see how they respond to environmental conditions today while also gaining insights into how climate change and habitat loss may affect them in the future.”
Savannas And Forest Islands
Alongside its findings on activity patterns, the study recorded pronounced differences in the relative abundance of giant anteaters between landscapes. The animals were more frequently recorded in tropical savannas containing forest islands than in areas dominated by continuous Amazon rainforest.
The release suggests that higher densities of terrestrial ant and termite nests in tropical grasslands may help explain the greater number of anteater records in savannas. Giant anteaters are highly specialised feeders, relying on ants and termites, and are readily recognised by their elongated snouts and bushy tails.
Protecting forest islands within natural grasslands is an especially constructive conservation priority in this context. These habitats can support the species’ food requirements while providing relief from higher temperatures, linking ecological function with climate resilience across the wider landscape.
Mounting Pressure On Habitat
Giant anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, occur from Honduras to northern Argentina, but are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their populations are declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting, road mortality, attacks by domestic dogs and increasingly severe wildfires.
In Bolivia’s Llanos de Moxos natural grasslands, the species is increasingly threatened by wildfires and the expansion of mechanised agriculture. The research places these local pressures within a wider climate context, as the loss of both grasslands and forest cover can reduce access to suitable habitat and cooler refuge areas.
The findings also reinforce that rainforest conservation and savanna protection should not be treated as competing priorities. Rainforests can help buffer rising temperatures, while threatened tropical savannas support greater numbers of giant anteaters and the insect prey on which they depend.
Conserving Connected Landscapes
The study offers a timely reminder that conservation decisions benefit from attention to species behaviour as well as population records. Maintaining natural savannas, retaining forest patches and continuing long-term monitoring can help conservationists understand where giant anteaters persist and how they respond to changing conditions.
Dr. Robert Wallace, Senior Conservation Scientist for WCS Bolivia and lead author of the study, said:
“Conserving both forests and natural savannas will be essential for the long-term survival of this remarkable species.”
For businesses, land managers and conservation organisations operating near sensitive ecosystems, the work demonstrates the value of retaining habitat diversity rather than focusing on a single land cover type. The long-running WCS monitoring programme provides a practical scientific foundation for protecting the mosaic of forests and grasslands that giant anteaters need as conditions warm.
