With the exception of one genus of armadillos, which has invaded Texas, the entire order of the Edentata is at present confined to the Neotropical region, the so-called edentates of the Old World now being removed to other orders. The Edentata, which were once far more varied and abundant than they now are, comprise three groups of animals so bizarre and strange that they seem more like fabulous creatures than actual, living mammals. One group, or suborder, is that of the sloths (Tardigrada), arboreal, shaggy animals, with short, almost monkey-like head and no tail; their very long legs and hook-like feet make them nearly helpless on the ground, but are very useful for hanging from the branches of the trees, in which the creatures live. Indeed, the sloths are the only mammals which habitually hang in a suspended position. Two genera of sloths inhabit the tropical forests, between which the most obvious difference is that in one (_Bradypus_) the forefoot has three toes, and in the other (_Cholœpus_) two. [Illustration: FIG. 108.—Two-toed Sloth (_Cholœpus didactylus_).—By permission of W. S. Berridge, London.] The suborder of the anteaters (Vermilingua) is more varied, and is the only one of the order to which the term “edentate” applies strictly, for they alone in the order are altogether toothless. The great Ant-Bear (_Myrmecophaga jubata_), which may reach a total length of seven feet, has an extravagantly long, slender and nearly cylindrical head, long, shaggy, black and white hair and an immense, bushy tail; the forefeet are armed with huge, sharp-pointed claws, which are used for tearing open ant-hills, and when occasion arises, as formidable weapons of defence, for the Ant-Bear can successfully repulse even the Jaguar. In walking, the claws are curved inward and the preposterous beast rests his weight upon the outside edges of the forefeet, while the hind feet apply the sole to the ground, as does a bear or raccoon. The Collared Anteater (_Tamandua_) is much smaller and mainly arboreal in habits. It has a short-haired, black body, with a white stripe down the back, white neck and limbs, a colour-pattern which gives to the animal the appearance of wearing a close-fitting black jacket; the long tail, which has some cross bars, is short-haired, very different from the extremely bushy tail of the Ant-Bear. The little Two-toed Anteater (_Cyclopes didactylus_), hardly larger than a rat, is exclusively arboreal and has a prehensile tail, like so many other South American mammals. Sloths and anteaters are forest animals and are not found west of the Andes or south of Paraguay. [Illustration: FIG. 109.—Ant-Bear (_Myrmecophaga jubata_).—By permission of the N.Y. Zoölog. Soc.] [Illustration: FIG. 110.—Collared Anteater (_Tamandua tetradactyla_).—By permission of the N.Y. Zoölog. Soc.] [Illustration: FIG. 111.—Six-banded Armadillo (_Dasypus sexcinctus_).—By permission of the N.Y. Zoölog. Soc.]