Pangolin - an Anti-Social Animal

Pangolin, or as they are more often called "scaly anteaters", are mammals belonging to the Pholidota order. There is only one remaining family of one remaining genus of Pangolin, that consists of around seven or eight species.

Pangolins can be found in savannas, woodlands and sandy soils mainly in Asia and Africa. They are nocturnal mammals and stay in their burrows during the day. After it has been dark for some time, they will come out and search for food. Socialization is of no concern to pangolin, they prefer to be alone.

When threatened a pangolin will roll itself into a ball, which is very difficult to be unrolled, to protect itself. It uses its scales as weapons and lashes its tail out in defense. Some are even able to release a spray, similar to that of a skunk, to ward off predators.

Pangolins are covered with thick, tough, reddish brown or just brown scales, leaving only the eyes, snout, ears, underside of limbs and belly uncovered. They have short limbs with long claws on the front feet and a wide tail. Depending on species, they grow between 16 to 39 inches long, with their tails being as long as their bodies and their tongue are very long, reaching lengths of 16 inches.

During mating season (March), a male and female pangolin will pair up for a day or two. After a gestation period of 135 to 140 days a single young is born. They are around six inches long with soft scales that begin to harden after a few days. Nursing lasts only a few weeks and at one month the young begin eating food. When they are two years of age, they will have reached sexual maturity.

Pangolins have a small mouth at the end of their long snout. They use their long tongues to drink water, eat ants and termites. Since they have no teeth, their food is ground up in their stomachs by sand and pebbles that they have swallowed.

Other animals such as the hyenas attack pangolins, but their main threat is that of humans. For hundreds of year's pangolin scales have been used in medicine, their bodies for meat and their skins as leather for boots and the such. Clearing of forests is also causing the decline in pangolin. Currently, four of the Pangolin species are considered extinct.

sources:

en.wikipedia.org
ladywww.americanzoo.com wildlife.com
www.awf.org