Six new species of Silky Anteater discovered

I read through it last night. I am always hesitant about papers that produce multiple splits from within one species, but in this case there seems to be a really good correlation between genetics, skull structure, and colouration. It's quite interesting seeing the skulls side-by-side and seeing just how different they are. The differences in colouration of the animals is striking also.
 
Chlidonias said:
I read through it last night. I am always hesitant about papers that produce multiple splits from within one species, but in this case there seems to be a really good correlation between genetics, skull structure, and colouration. It's quite interesting seeing the skulls side-by-side and seeing just how different they are. The differences in colouration of the animals is striking also.
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Looks like a parallel situation to Douracouli (not sure I spelled tha right!).
As far as I know, Pygmy Anteaters just don't do well in captivity.
 
The main hindrance to maintaining these in captivity has been diet, but this is now a much smaller hurdle. Specimens are now living beyond five years, which is longer than their originally expected lifespan. At one point many of these, when confiscated/rescued, would end up in specialist zoos (like Zoo Huachipa, in Peru, which spearheads efforts to master a captive diet) but these zoos are now receiving fewer animals thanks to the success of their diets which can be provided in local centres.
 
jayjds2 said:
Why are these animals not kept in captivity? Is it stress, diet, etc.? Has it been tried often? I’d be interested in any information that could be provided.
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A little bit of history that might be of interest:-

Flower (1929) records two short lived individuals at London Zoo; one received on 16th September 1854 lived for two days whilst another, acquired on 6th September 1858, lived for four days.

Crandall (1964) mentions that few silky anteaters have been kept in captivity and only lists six zoo specimens, the two London Zoo animals recorded by Flower and four individuals in New York (Bronx) Zoo. Of the four New York animals, one received in 1917 lived for three days and another obtained in 1936 live two days; the third, identified as C. d. dorsalis, lived from 27th June 1949 to 7th September 1949. The longest surviving silky anteater recorded by Crandall lived in New York from 19th September 1961 until 4th March 1963.

Weigl (2005) identifies the longest lived of the four New York specimens as C. d. ida although, according to him, it died on 5th March not the 4th March.

The only other silky anteater listed by Weigl that lived longer than a year was another C. d. ida that lived in Lincoln Park Zoo from 18th November 1969 until 3rd March 1972.

The ZSL Annual Report for 1966 lists two specimens as being acquired by London Zoo that year; I have no recollection of ever seeing them there during my childhood.
 
Tim May said:
A little bit of history that might be of interest:-

Flower (1929) records two short lived individuals at London Zoo; one received on 16th September 1854 lived for two days whilst another, acquired on 6th September 1858, lived for four days.

Crandall (1964) mentions that few silky anteaters have been kept in captivity and only lists six zoo specimens, the two London Zoo animals recorded by Flower and four individuals in New York (Bronx) Zoo. Of the four New York animals, one received in 1917 lived for three days and another obtained in 1936 live two days; the third, identified as C. d. dorsalis, lived from 27th June 1949 to 7th September 1949. The longest surviving silky anteater recorded by Crandall lived in New York from 19th September 1961 until 4th March 1963.

Weigl (2005) identifies the longest lived of the four New York specimens as C. d. ida although, according to him, it died on 5th March not the 4th March.

The only other silky anteater listed by Weigl that lived longer than a year was another C. d. ida that lived in Lincoln Park Zoo from 18th November 1969 until 3rd March 1972.

The ZSL Annual Report for 1966 lists two specimens as being acquired by London Zoo that year; I have no recollection of ever seeing them there during my childhood.
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Thank you for the information, I always find it interesting to learn more about historical keeping of hard-to-maintain species. When I was a young child, I was particularly interested in silky anteaters, and declared I wanted to see one. I have yet to fulfill that dream, and it doesn’t seem as though it will happen anytime soon.
 
Silky anteaters are sometimes offered in the private trade. They are often directly imported from South America and sold for exorbitant prices (like thousands of euros each), just like tamanduas. I don't know how well they do but I guess that feeding them is the main challenge. It is probably far for impossible nowadays, but still very expensive.

You don't see them in (European) zoos because (husbandry problems aside), zoos that are interested in "tree-dwelling anteaters" will probably choose tamanduas. Their husbandry is better known and they are bred in zoos, which means that they can be obtained without the need to import them directly. And of course because silky anteaters are just ridiculously expensive.
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
Silky anteaters are sometimes offered in the private trade. They are often directly imported from South America and sold for exorbitant prices (like thousands of euros each), just like tamanduas. I don't know how well they do but I guess that feeding them is the main challenge. It is probably far for impossible nowadays, but still very expensive.

You don't see them in (European) zoos because (husbandry problems aside), zoos that are interested in "tree-dwelling anteaters" will probably choose tamanduas. Their husbandry is better known and they are bred in zoos, which means that they can be obtained without the need to import them directly. And of course because silky anteaters are just ridiculously expensive.
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Unless European zoos would start cooperating with South American facilities that have the species especially if some of the newly described species become conservation dependent. Does anyone know if Guyana Zoo has any silky anteaters?
 
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