An Alabama zoo gave its visitors and animal lovers all around a rare insight into anteaters’ feeding techniques.

In a video released by Birmingham Zoo, an anteater by the name of Carlito can be seen swiping his tongue across a large platter of food.

Zoo staff apparently allow Carlito to enjoy his meals while using his natural instincts by serving his breakfast on a honeycomb feeder.

The enrichment device has holes in the sides about the size of an anteater’s snout, which can effectively mimic a feeding scenario in the wild wherein the animals raid through ant colonies.

Carlito, who is two years old and weighs 165 pounds, came to the Birmingham Zoo as part of a special survival programme, according to their official website.

Being an insectivore, Carlito can solely feed on bugs, as anteaters have no teeth.

Instead, they use their tongues which are 2 feet long on average and coated with thick saliva, which allows food to stick easily.

Anteaters (Vermilingua) can remarkably eat up to 35,000 ants and termites in a single day.

These South and Central American natives can flick their tongues in and out of their mouths up to 150 times a minute.