Pangolin
What's the basic overview of a pangolin?
The pangolin is a nocturnal animal and the only known mammal to have scales. There are eight species of pangolin. Four are 'Vulnerable', two are 'Endangered', and two are 'Critically Endangered'. A number of pangolin species have already become extinct.
Where do they live?
Four of the pangolin species are exclusive to Asia, and the other four are only found in Africa. They don't live in any specific habitat. They'll make their homes in forests, plains, grasslands, and all kinds of biomes. In general, pangolins will live wherever they can find a good amount of ants or termites.
What do they eat?
Pangolins are similar to anteaters in terms of diet. They mainly eat ants and termites, but they will also eat bee larvae, flies, worms, earthworms, and crickets. Pangolins will get sick if they eat something other than these foods. They seem to be very hungry, however: a single pangolin can eat more than 70 million insects every year.
What do they look like?
A pangolin's distinguishing feature is its many hard, sharp scales. These scales are soft when the pangolin is born, but harden when it grows. When attacked by predators, pangolins will roll up in a ball to defend themselves. Pangolins also have very long tongues, which are longer than the pangolin's body when fully extended, and sharp claws. Even in their
appearance, they are exceedingly similar to anteaters, the only difference being the scales. Additionally, pangolins have a great sense of smell and are good swimmers.
What about their homes?
Pangolins are very solitary, so they live alone. Some pangolins live in hollow trees, but most dig tunnels underground and live in these burrows. The burrows can be up to 11 feet deep, and contain large chambers, some of which are big enough for a human to fit inside and stand up in. Pangolins haven't been studied much in their natural habitat, so not much else is known about these burrows.
How do pangolins reproduce?
The only time pangolins ever really interact with each other is to mate. Each adult pangolin mates once a year, but the process is rather strange. Males will mark their location with poop or pee and the females will find them. If there's competition over a female, the males will fight for the chance to mate with her, using their tails as clubs.
How are they in trouble?
There's high demand for pangolin meat, which is considered a delicacy. Though all of the remaining pangolin species have been protected, there are still multiple illegal pangolin trades taking place. Thousands of pangolins are being hunted.
How can I help?
As always, try donating money to the WWF. They're trying to stop the illegal pangolin trade problem and could benefit from your donation. If you don't want to donate, spread the word! The more people helping save endangered animals, the better and more beautiful our world will become.
This map shows the range of pangolins. The green parts are where they live.
A pangolin uses its claws to dig under treebark so it can eat bugs from the nest inside of the tree.