Characteristics

The pangolin looks somewhat like a cross between an Armadillo and an anteater with its pointed muzzle, long tail and tapered body. Its scales can be compared to the Armadillo’s leathery armor, while its elongated snout and powerful, short limbs resemble that of an anteater’s.

Pangolins vary hugely in size depending on the species. Their head and body length -excluding the tail- can range from 30 to 90 centimeters, while their tails can measure an additional 26 to 88 centimeters more. Pangolins weigh between 1 to 35 kilograms, with their scales accounting for 20 percent or more of their total body weight.  Males are generally larger than the females, outweighing them by a good 10 to 50 percent.

The most distinct feature of the pangolin are the large round scales that overlap each other to form an intricate protective layer around its body. Contrary to popular belief, a pangolin’s ‘scales’ are not similar to reptilian scales. They are instead consolidated hair, similar to a rhinoceros’s horn. Such hair is made up of Keratin, a protein that can is also found in human hair and fingernails.

Different species have scales that vary in colour, pattern, quantity, shape and size. Pangolins have scales on every part of their body except for their furry undersides and the sides of their faces. Much like hair, the scales grow throughout a pangolin’s lifetime, compensating for the wear and tear that occurs along the outer edges. The total number of scales an individual has always remains the same. Three or four bristly hairs can be found at the base of each scale for the Asiatic species, although these are absent in the African Pangolins.

Pangolins are insectivorous and have adapted to a specialized diet of ants and termites. These toothless animals are well-equipped with powerful fore-claws for digging and breaking apart ant nests or termite mounds. Their small, conical-shaped heads and long, mucous-covered tongues are ideal for reaching deep into cavities and drawing the insects into their mouths. A Pangolin’s tongue can grow up to 25 centimeters in length and retracts into a chest cavity when not in use.

Pangolins’ poor sense of sight is compensated by an excellent sense of smell, which allows them to locate prey hundreds of meters away. They do not need teeth because of their diet and special muscular stomach. Instead, these scaly anteaters swallow sand and tiny stones, which are stored in their stomach and later used to crush whatever insects they eat. Their overlapping scales even serve to grind or kill any ants that go between them, protecting them from bites or stings. As further protection, pangolins have thick membranes over their eyes and are able to completely close their ears and nose to prevent the ants and termites from entering.