📖 what
What is a pangolin?
animalsconservationmammals
Quick Answer
A pangolin is a scaly, ant-eating mammal found in Asia and Africa — the only mammals covered in large protective scales made of keratin.
The Full Story
There are eight species of pangolin: four in Asia and four in Africa. Their overlapping scales are made of keratin, the same material as human fingernails. When threatened, pangolins roll into a tight ball that most predators cannot open. They have no teeth and use a very long, sticky tongue to eat ants and termites, and a single pangolin may eat millions of insects a year. Pangolins are widely described as the most trafficked mammals in the world, hunted for their meat and scales.
Key Facts
1.There are eight pangolin species, four in Asia and four in Africa.
2.Pangolin scales are made of keratin.
3.All eight species are protected from international commercial trade under CITES since 2017.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The walking pine cone — meet the world's most trafficked mammal."