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Pangolins are the only mammals covered in scales made of keratin (the same material as human fingernails). When threatened, they curl into a tight ball, impenetrable to most predators. They have no teeth — they swallow stones to help grind up ants and termites in their muscular stomachs. Their long, sticky tongues can extend up to 40 cm to reach deep into insect nests.
All eight pangolin species are threatened with extinction. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world — over 1 million have been poached in the past decade for their scales (used in traditional Chinese medicine) and their meat. Their critically low numbers and secretive nature make them among the least-studied mammals.
# Top 10 Pangolin facts
- 1Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal — over 1 million poached in the last decade
- 2They are the only mammals covered in scales — made of keratin, the same material as human nails
- 3When threatened, pangolins curl into a tight ball whose scales can withstand lion bites
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal — over 1 million poached in the last decade
- ◆They are the only mammals covered in scales — made of keratin, the same material as human nails
- ◆When threatened, pangolins curl into a tight ball whose scales can withstand lion bites
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