List of pilosans

Pilosa is an order of placental mammals. Members of this order are called pilosans, and include anteaters and sloths. They are found in South and Central America, generally in forests, though some species are found in shrublands, grasslands, and savannas. Pilosans primarily eat insects and leaves. They range in size from the silky anteater, at 36 cm (14 in) plus a 18 cm (7 in) tail, to the giant anteater, at 120 cm (47 in) plus a 90 cm (35 in) tail. No pilosans have population estimates, but the pygmy three-toed sloth is categorized as critically endangered.

The twelve extant species of Pilosa are divided into two suborders: Folivora, the sloths, and Vermilingua, the anteaters. Folivora contains two families: Bradypodidae, containing four species in one genus; and Choloepodidae, containing two species in one genus. Vermilingua also contains two families: Cyclopedidae, containing a single species, and Myrmecophagidae, containing three species in two genera. Dozens of extinct prehistoric pilosan species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.^[1]