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Pangolin( or scaly anteater)
Found in tropical regions of Asia and Africa
Size: 30-100cm
Favourite food: ants or termites
Special features: large scales covering their bodies; curl up into a ball when threatened; extremely long tongue which they can extend up to 40cm; good swimmers; dig down into the earth to 3.5m to give birth and bring up their young.
Status: Threatened
The pangolin is a mammal. Pangolins have large scales covering their bodies and are the only known mammal to have this feature.
The pangolin is often referred to as the walking pine cone. When it is threatened it can curl up into a ball with its face tucked under its tail. An attacker is then faced with a ball covered in sharp scales.
Pangolins have long front claws which are not suitable for walking on so they walk with their claws curled under.
They feed on ants or termites. They tear open the ant hill or termite mound and then extract the insects with their extremely long tongues. Big pangolins can extend their tongues up to 40cm.
Ground dwelling pangolins dig burrows up to a depth of 3.5 metres in which they give birth and raise their young.
Baby pangolins live in the burrow for the first four weeks and are weaned at three months.
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