Pangolins
Order : Pholidota
Digging for ants and termites with their strong claws and large tongue, the pangolins have little to fear, except humans. They can curl up into a ball and their razor sharp provide extra defense. "There is a story of a villager that knocked a pangolin out and brought it back to the village with it around his neck. But the pangolin regained conscience and quickly tried to curl up into a ball. Unfortunately the villager's neck was caught in the middle and he was found strangled to death with the pangolin still wrapped around him." (source) Another defense mechanism is their ability to spray acid like a skunk when threatened. They can be found in parts of africa and asia. Once placed with the Xenarthra, the edentates, because of their ability to curl, like the armadillo and the use of their tongue, like the anteater, but now the seven species of pangolin have an order of their own, the Pholidota.
Animals in the order Pholidota |
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Indian pangolin |
Giant pangolin |
Malayan pangolin |
Chinese pangolin |
Ground pangolin |
Long-tailed pangolin |
Tree pangolin |