Ask a Pangolin
Q: How big are pangolins?
Some of us are about the size of a large housecat. The biggest pangolins grow to more than four feet long.
Q: What are your scales like?
Our scales are made of keratin— the same material as your fingernails—which gives us the nickname “scaly anteater.”
Q: How do you protect yourself?
When threatened, we roll into a ball, like an armadillo or a pill bug. Sometimes, if we feel really scared, we let loose some stinky liquid from a gland at the base of our tails. That really drives those mean old predators away in a hurry!
Q: When can you see pangolins in the wild?
It is hard to find pangolins. We are solitary (that means we like to be by ourselves) and active mostly at night. Most of us live on the ground, but some, like the black-bellied pangolin, also climb trees.
Q: Are you related to anteaters and armadillos?
Although we look and act a lot like anteaters and armadillos, we are more closely related to bears, cats, and dogs.
Like anteaters, we have long snouts and even longer tongues, which we use to lap up ants and termites. We dig up anthills and termite hills with our powerful front claws. We can close up our noses and ears to keep ants out when we’re eating.
Q: How do pangolins care for their young?
Pangolin babies often ride on their mother’s tail. When danger is near, the mother will roll herself into a ball around her baby to shield it. The baby nurses its mother’s milk until it is four months old.