Creature Feature #566: Pangolin

The Pangolin is protected by his layers of keratin scales. These overlap, allowing him to roll into an impenetrable ball if threatened. Like the unrelated anteaters and aardvark, he is well adapated for an insectivorous diet. His front claws are long and curved, perfect for tearing open termite mounds. His tongue can extend to 40 cm, allowing him to reach deep inside the tunnels.

Pangolin are the most illegally trafficked and poached mammal in the world, even moreso than tigers, rhinos and elephants. His meat is eaten, scales and other body parts used in "medicine". This is pushing the Chinese Pangolin, and all of the other seven species, closer and closer to extinction. Indeed, just recently five tonnes of frozen pangolin, and several live specimens, were found in an Indonesian raid.

If you wish to help the pangolin, here is a site dedicated to stopping the trafficking: http://www.pangolinsg.org/