About Cyclopes dorsalis (Gray, 1865)
Silky anteaters (scientific name Cyclopes dorsalis (Gray, 1865)) are the smallest living anteaters, and have proportionately shorter faces and larger crania than other anteater species. The average length of an adult silky anteater is 36 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in), which includes a 17 to 24 cm (6.7 to 9.4 in) long tail, and adults weigh between 175 and 400 g (6.2 to 14.1 oz). Their fur is dense and soft, and its color ranges from grey to yellowish with a silvery sheen. Many subspecies have dark, often brownish streaks, and have relatively paler underparts or limbs. Their eyes are black, and the soles of their feet are red. Silky anteaters have claws on the second and third toes of their forefeet; the third toe is noticeably larger. The fourth forefoot toe is small and lacks a claw, while the remaining forefoot toes are either vestigial or absent and cannot be seen externally. On the hind feet, all four toes are the same length, have long claws, and are paired with a vestigial hallux that is not visible externally. Their ribs are broad and flat, and overlap to create an internal armored casing that protects the chest. This species also has a partially prehensile tail, which helps support their arboreal, tree-dwelling lifestyle. Silky anteaters are distributed from Oaxaca and southern Veracruz in Mexico, through Central America (excluding El Salvador), and south to Ecuador, northern Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. A separate distinct population lives in the northern Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. They can also be found on the island of Trinidad. They live in a variety of forest types, including semi-deciduous, tropical evergreen, and mangrove forests, at elevations ranging from sea level up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
