John C. Vanderburg Rainforest Biosphere

The Giant Pangolin

Pangolin Facts

It's also called the "scaly anteater." It uses its huge claws to tear into termite mounds. Such big claws get in the way of normal walking, so the pangolin has to walk on its knuckles. It has tiny eyes and no teeth but a great sense of smell. When a pangolin sees danger it rolls itself into a tight ball and wraps its tail around its body for protection. Predators can be badly cut by the razor-sharp tail scales. The pangolin has thick eyelids and can close up its ears and nose. This protects it when the ants start biting.

 

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