Terrestrial forms of Pangolins are known to live in burrows. It has been found that the depth of a burrow can be huge and a full-grown adult human being can crawl inside it and stand high. These mammals find their prey mainly on termites but they also love eating ants and other different insects.
What type of animal is a pangolin?
Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (/ f ɒ l ɪ ˈ d oʊ t ə /, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – “clad in scales”). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia.
They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues.
How do pangolins protect themselves?
They are the only mammals wholly-covered in scales and they use those scales to protect themselves from predators in the wild. If under threat, a pangolin will immediately curl into a tight ball and will use their sharp-scaled tails to defend themselves. What do pangolins eat?
What are the characteristics of a pangolin?
Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues.
A number of extinct pangolin species are also known. Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales, similar in material to fingernails and toenails, covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species.
What do pangolins do at night?
[ Read full story] (Image credit: Pangolin Specialist Group ) Pangolins can be found across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in sandy areas of woodlands and savannas. Their homes, underground burrows, are usually near water sources. As nocturnal animals, pangolins spend their days sleeping and their nights foraging for food and digging their burrow.
The long-tailed pangolin is also active by day, while other species of pangolins spend most of the daytime sleeping, curled up into a ball. Arboreal pangolins live in hollow trees, whereas the ground-dwelling species dig tunnels to a depth of 3.5 m (11 ft).
Are pangolins warm blooded?
Pangolins are warm-blooded mammals, found in Africa and parts of Asia. There are eight different species of pangolins, with some preferring to hang out more in trees and others on the ground. Pangolins look like heavily armoured, yet strangely anxious anteaters.
Are pangolins good swimmers?
Pangolins are also good swimmers. Pangolins are insectivorous. Most of their diet consists of various species of ants and termites, and may be supplemented by other insects, especially larvae. They are somewhat particular and tend to consume only one or two species of insects, even when many species are available to them.