Pangolin

A pangolin has hard scales.

These scales are like armor. They protect the animal's skin.

When a pangolin feels scared, it rolls into a ball.

It tucks its face under its tail to stay safe.

Pangolins like to eat ants and termites. They use a very long tongue to catch them. Their tongue is sticky to help them eat.

These animals often sleep during the day. They like to be active at night. Some live in trees. Others live in holes in the ground.

Many pangolins are in trouble today. People hunt them too much. We must help keep them safe.

Pangolins are mammals with hard, overlapping scales.

These scales are made of keratin. This is the same stuff in your fingernails. The scales act like armor. When a pangolin is scared, it rolls into a ball.

It tucks its face under its tail to stay safe. Some pangolins can even spray a bad smell to scare enemies.

Pangolins mostly eat ants and termites.

They have very long, sticky tongues to catch them. They do not have teeth to chew. Instead, they swallow small stones. These stones stay in a part of the stomach called a gizzard. The stones help grind up the insects.

Most pangolins are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. They use their sense of smell to find food. Some live in hollow trees. Others dig burrows in the ground. Many pangolins are in trouble. People hunt them for their meat and scales. This makes them the most trafficked mammals in the world.

Pangolins are amazing mammals that look a bit like walking pine cones.

They are covered in large, hard scales that overlap each other. These scales are made of keratin, which is the same material in your fingernails. When a pangolin feels scared, it uses these scales as armor. It curls into a tight ball and tucks its face under its tail.

This helps protect its soft belly from predators. Some species can even spray a bad smell from glands to scare enemies away.

Finding food is a very special way of life for these animals. Most pangolins eat ants and termites.

Because they have no teeth, they cannot chew their food. Instead, they use a very long, sticky tongue to pull insects from tunnels. They also swallow small stones called gastroliths. These stones sit in a part of the stomach called a gizzard. The gizzard has tiny spines that help grind the insects up. This allows the pangolin to digest its meal without needing teeth.

People have known about pangolins for a very long time. The name "pangolin" comes from a Malay word that means "one who rolls up."

In ancient India, a writer named Aelian described them too. Scientists study different groups of pangolins to understand them better. They belong to an order called Pholidota, which means "clad in scales" in Greek. They are not closely related to armadillos, even though they both have scales. This happened because of convergent evolution, where different animals develop similar traits.

There are eight living species of pangolin in the world today. Five species live in Asia, while the others live in sub-Saharan Africa. Some species are in big trouble and are listed as threatened. For example, the Sunda pangolin and the Chinese pangolin are critically endangered.

Others, like the Temminck's ground pangolin, are considered vulnerable. In September 2023, scientists even reported a ninth species. This new species was only known from its scales and has not been seen in the wild.

Many pangolins are nocturnal, which means they are awake at night.

They use their strong sense of smell to find insects in the dark. Some species live in hollow trees, while others dig deep burrows. Sadly, pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world. People hunt them for their meat and their scales. They are often taken to China and Vietnam for traditional medicine. This makes protecting their homes and lives a very important job.

Pangolins are unique mammals belonging to the order Pholidota. The name Pholidota comes from the Ancient Greek word for "clad in scales."

While they might look like armadillos, they are not closely related. They developed their scales through convergent evolution, which is when different animals evolve similar traits.

Today, the only living family is Manidae. This family is divided into three distinct genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia. These animals play a vital role in their ecosystems by regulating termite populations.

A pangolin's most striking feature is its protective armor. They are covered in large, overlapping, plate-like scales made of keratin.

Keratin is the same protein that makes up human fingernails and claws. These scales are soft on newborns but harden as the animal matures. When a predator approaches, the pangolin performs a behavior called volvation. It curls into a tight ball to protect its soft belly. It even tucks its face under its tail for extra safety. Some species can also emit a noxious-smelling chemical from glands near the anus to deter threats.

The feeding process of a pangolin is a highly specialized biological mechanism. Because they lack teeth, they cannot chew their food. Instead, they rely on an extremely long, sticky tongue.

In large species, the tongue can reach lengths of up to 40 centimeters. Interestingly, the root of the tongue is not attached to the hyoid bone. Instead, it is located deep in the thorax between the sternum and the trachea. To digest their prey, pangolins swallow small stones called gastroliths. These stones collect in a specialized part of the stomach called a gizzard. The gizzard contains keratinous spines that help grind the insects into a digestible form.

Pangolins are divided into different types based on where they live and how they move. The genus Manis includes five species found in Asia. In sub-Saharan Africa, the genera Phataginus and Smutsia represent the remaining species. Phataginus includes small, arboreal species that live in hollow trees. Smutsia includes larger, ground-dwelling species that dig burrows up to 2 meters deep.

Some species, like the long-tailed pangolin, are active during the day. Most others are nocturnal, using a keen sense of smell to find ants and termites in the dark.

History and naming provide more context for these animals. The word "pangolin" comes from the Malay word "pengguling," meaning "one who rolls up."

This name was originally used for the Sunda pangolin. In ancient India, the writer Aelian referred to them as "phattáges." Recent scientific discoveries continue to expand our knowledge. In September 2023, a ninth species, the cryptic pangolin, was reported. This species is currently only known through confiscated scales and has not been seen in the wild.

The conservation status of pangolins is a matter of great international concern. They are currently the most trafficked mammals in the entire world.

Many are poached for their meat, which is a luxury delicacy, and their scales, which are used in traditional medicine. Because of this, eight species are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Three species, including the Sunda and Chinese pangolins, are critically endangered. Three others are endangered, and two are classified as vulnerable. Over the last decade, it is estimated that one million pangolins have been trafficked.

Understanding pangolins requires looking at their complex evolutionary history. Genetic evidence shows they are more closely related to carnivorans than to anteaters. They form a clade called Ferae along with these meat-eating mammals.

This evolutionary split occurred approximately 79.47 million years ago. Their unique physical traits, like the specialized tongue and the gizzard, show how they have adapted to a very specific niche. By protecting these animals, we help maintain the balance of the insect populations in their natural habitats.