Not sure what this cute little critter is? Then let us introduce you to the pangolin. They’ve been around for about 80 million years and they’re the only mammals in the world that are covered in scales. Their tongue can be longer than their bodies and they can also let off a foul-smelling odor like skunks when in danger. The word ‘pangolin’ comes from the Malay word ‘pengguling’, which means “rolling up”. This is a reference to the pangolin’s habit of rolling into a ball like a pill bug whenever they feel threatened.
Unfortunately this makes them easy to capture, and it’s estimated that 100,000 pangolins are caught and sold every year. Most of them get shipped to China and Vietnam where their meat and scales are sold for food and medicine. Because of this, all eight species of pangolin are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of animals threatened with extinction. You can learn more about them here.
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Image source: Firdia Lisnawati
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: Joel Sartore
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Image source: KermitTheSnail
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Image source: VOA
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: African Pangolin Working Group
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Image source: Michael
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: Guy Colborne
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Image source: African Pangolin Working Group
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Image source: Loopdeloops
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Image source: Suzi Eszterhas
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Image source: Niveks
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Image source: Maria Diekmann
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Image source: Paul Hilton
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Image source: Maria Diekmann
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Image source: Wildlife Reserves Singapore
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Image source: Christian Boix
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: Wildlife Reserves Singapore
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: cheelap
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Image source: Tory Braden
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Image source: Aelegans
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Image source: Guy Colborne
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Image source: SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary
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Image source: ROBOTvsMAN
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Image source: Taipei Zoo
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Image source: Lucy Cooke
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