Random Reasons Pangolin Is Most Badass Animal (16 items)

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  (#1) They Are The World's Only Scaled Mammal

  If you've never seen a pangolin before, the sight of one might be a bit of a shocker. They can look like a possum mixed with a pinecone, or like something straight off of a Pokemon card. The fact is, their appearance is incredibly unique, because they are the only mammal with scales in the world. Armadillos come close, but they're not truly a scaled animal. 

  Pangolins come in eight different species, spanning many different countries. One thing they all have in common is that they have hard scales all over their bodies. These scales aren't just for looks, either. The edges of these are razor sharp, and if the animal is bitten or grabbed hastily, the scales can actually cut skin and cause real damage. Unfortunately, this is the only real defense the pangolin has against predators.
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  (#2) Pangolin Scales Were Used In Ancient Armor

  Pangolin scales have been found in ancient armor, and since then they’ve held a fascination in the military community. Because the scales are so rigid, but also so lightweight and flexible, it makes Pangolins an interesting example of armor, one that may be able to teach us how to better our own armor technology.

  These scales were used along with metals, raw hides, horns, and seeds. Armor was made by sewing the individual scales onto a a military garb, and they were laid out much like an actual pangolin's skin. Soldiers from China, India, Greece, Persia, and the Byzantine Empire were known to wear these types of outfits. King George III of England was presented a coat of scale armor as a present in 1820. 
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  (#3) It's The World's Most Trafficked Animal

  Given that these little guys are so cute and useful, it would make sense to leave them be, right? Well, many hunters don’t think so. Because they are easy to catch, and because their scales are bought at high prices for medicine and fashion, poachers thrive on illegal pangolin trade all throughout the world. People also like trying to keep them as pets, and they can be purchased in both Africa and in Asia. This trade has lead to pangolins being the most trafficked animal in the entire world.

  This also leads to their rapidly decreasing numbers. Out of the eight species of pangolin still in existence, four are listed as vulnerable, two are listed as endangered, and two are listed as critically endangered. If the poaching and illegal trade cannot be stopped, we may see some species of pangolin go extinct in the next few decades.
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  (#4) Some Have Super Dextrous Tails

  One of the pangolin's most notable features is its very long, semi-flat, and scaly tail. In some species of Pangolin, this tail is for more than just balance and looks. In fact, the tail of many pangolin is incredibly strong, dexterous, and genuinely prehensile. This means they can grab things with it, use it for climbing, and even just hang upside down. 

  Indian pangolins found in Sri Lanka, for example, live in the rainforest canopy their entire lives, rather than on the ground as with some African species. They use their tails to grasp branches to aid with their climbing, and can be sometimes found hanging upside down from trees. Other species from Africa who do not hang or have perfectly prehensile tails can still use their tails for balance, and for defending their bodies from attack.
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  (#5) They Sometimes Walk Around Like People

  Although these little critters are often found climbing or waddling around on all fours, they don’t always do this. Many species of pangolin have very large front claws on their feet, which are great for digging and climbing, but not so great for running around. Pangolins are not fast and are not good runners, and those claws play a large part in that. Due to this discomfort, certain species of pangolin will often walk around on their back feet. They’ll hunch over and trundle about like little old men, with their claws neatly folded in from of their bodies. If that isn’t cute, what really is? 
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  (#6) They Eat Millions Of Insects Each Year

  Pangolins are not only cute and fascinating, they’re also incredibly useful. Because they subsist almost entirely on ants, termites, larvae, and worms, Pangolins are amazing pest controllers. It's estimated an adult Pangolin can eat ,a whopping 70 million insects a year. Imagine just a few pangolin living in a specific area, and you can imagine what they could do to a local pest problem. Their digging also helps the soil become more fertile.

  This is also another reason why pangolins make very poor pets. They need to be eating nearly constantly in order to keep their energy and health up. In captivity, they will reject unfamiliar insects, which they cannot identify with their keen sense of smell. This leads to them being malnourished, and can give rise to illness as well.
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  (#7) They Can Have Tongues That Are Longer Than Their Bodies

  Pangolins aren’t exactly the biggest creatures. The smallest ones are around four pounds, and the largest ones still only get to about 70 pounds. There are some species that can reach six feet long, which is mostly the tail, but many others are just a few feet long even at full size. However, that length could be more than doubled if you included the size of their tongues. 

  Pangolins have long tongues because they mainly eat insects. These long tongues can go into burrows, sticking to ants and other bugs before sucking them back in. In many cases, pangolins’ tongues are actually longer than their entire bodies, though you’re unlikely to see them fully extended. That means we’re looking at a minimum of several feet of tongue for a full-grown pangolin.
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  (#8) They Can Roll Into Perfect Little Balls

  The name pangolin can actually be translated as “rolling up,” from the Malay tongue, and this makes the name very appropriate. When threatened, scared, or confused, pangolins have a tendency to roll themselves up into little balls, protected by all their spines. These balls are tight and almost perfectly round, with the tail looping over all of it to keep things contained. While other species do this, such as the possum or the armadillo, the pangolin is the only one to do it with a protective layer of sharpness around the outside. Lions have been known to play with African pangolins like toys, because of this round shape.
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  (#9) They Get Stinky When They Get Nervous

  Up until now, you may have noticed these animals seem similar to possums, armadillos, and maybe aardvarks in some of their characteristics. However, they have something in common with another common animal you know: a skunk. Pangolins depend on their sense of smell for many things, and mark their territory with a strong scent so others can know they’re in the wrong turf. These glands that secret the strong smelling substance also activate whenever the pangolin is afraid, much like a skunk. The glands are located near the anus, and while they don’t spray their scent like skunks do, you should be able to smell a scared pangolin from quite a distance away. Lesser predators might even be dissuaded from approaching. 
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  (#10) They Get Sheepish Around Potential Mates

  For the most part, pangolins are very solitary creatures. They come out at night, they stay underground, and they don’t move in packs or pairs. When they are ready to go out looking for love, males try to attract females with special scent markings, and then they watch and wait. When a female comes, things start to get a little weird.

  For one thing, male Pangolins turn into awkward dorks when a female comes along. They are not sure how to approach, they seem skittish, and they’ll often scare their potential mate away. This might also be because the male is up for 50% heavier and larger than the female. Add in some sharp and potentially harmful scales to navigate, and you can see why mating would be a bit of a tricky procedure.
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  (#11) They Carry Their Babies - Called Pangopups - On Their Tails And Cuddle Them While They Sleep

  Once pangolins do mate and have their baby - adorably called a pangopup - things get Grade A cute. Other animals may carry their young in their arms or on their backs, but not pangolins. Because their tails are so strong and flat, most species carry their young at the base of their tails. This keeps the baby protected from anything that might harm them on the ground, and surrounds them with sharp scales, because the baby won’t have fully developed their own yet. When born, pangolins are only about six inches long, and their scales are soft and transparent, so they’re pretty defenseless. Still, the parent may carry the baby for a long while, even after their child is capable of walking or climbing themselves.

  The mother will also roll protectively around her baby while sleeping, making these a very cuddly type of animal.
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  (#12) They Can Shut Their Ears And Noses To Keep Out Insects

  When a pangolin eats, it can be a pretty tricky procedure. Some tree-dwelling pangolin will seek out fruit, then prey on the insects that come to eat said fruit. Ground-dwelling pangolin will seek out ants nests, termites, and other small swarming insects. Given that pangolins don’t have a lot of scales on their faces, how are they able to protect themselves from their potential dinner?

  One strange talent pangolins have is that they can shut just about every hole on their face. When eating lots of insects, these creatures will use specialized muscles to shut their nose, their eyes, and even their ears at will, just to keep defending insects out. Thus, when a pangolin eats, it can look like they’re in an intense fit of ecstasy just from enjoying their meal. 
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  (#13) They're Super Clumsy

  With all these spikes and a handy tail, you might think the pangolin is built to be a fighter, like some sort of stegosaurus. Unfortunately, that’s really not the case. These animals tend to be rather bumbling and clumsy, and when they roll up in balls, they have a habit of rolling down hills or sliding down embankments rather than staying put. They also can't run fast without falling over. It may be pretty cute, but it’s also a major problem.

  Pangolins also easily stunned and confused, which makes them easy prey. For this reason, they’re absurdly easy to capture. A random person could walk by with a pair of thick gloves, just scoop one up and put it in a sack before the pangolin even knew what is happening. This also makes them good prey for large predators, because they’re not fast enough to run, and pretty fun to play with. 
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  (#14) They Are Completely Toothless

  After the pangolin manages to grab all those yummy insects with its super long tongue, how does it chew them up? Well, the pangolin doesn’t actually chew. It’s incapable of doing so, because it doesn’t have any teeth, Instead, pangolins have rough, grating substances in the tops and bottoms of their mouths meant to shred any incoming insects. They also have special muscles in their mouths to prevent insects escaping after being caught. They have a gizzard-like stomach that digests the insects once they go down.

  This also means that, in case of an emergency or during an attack, a pangolin cannot bite back to defend itself. They will instead sometimes hiss and try to appear large, even if their toothless mouth is anything but intimidating. 
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  (#15) They Live For Longer Than Dogs And Cats

  Unfortunately, people seem insistent on keeping these cute creatures as pets. While this is incredibly misguided, it does bring up an interesting fact. The average dog or cat only lives up into their teen years before dying. Pangolins, on the other hand, have been known to live to around 20 while in captivity, making them generally longer-lasting animals than most other pets. But that’s not even the coolest thing about their longevity.

  Researchers actually aren't entirely sure what the full lifespan of a pangolin is. In captivity, they tend to become depressed, and a whole load of health issues arise that eventually lead to death. In the wild, however, scientists have never gotten a solid read on how long they’re able to last. Because of the depressive state of pangolins, which lead to their death, its possible those in the wild could last well beyond 20.
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  (#16) We Still Have So Much To Learn About Them

  Sadly enough, we still know very little about these creatures. Because they are solitary, nocturnal, and live underground, they’ve been increasingly difficult to study. Their failure to thrive in captivity also makes researching them that way problematic. We still do not know their lifespan, all their breeding habits, and we have little understanding of their social interactions. In short, there’s still so much to learn about pangolins!

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