Pangolins are a really cute, threatened species that you've probably never heard of.
As you can see, pangolins have really big, sharp scales covering their entire bodies. These scales are made out of keratin, which is what our nails are made out of. Like armadillos, pangolins can curl up into a ball to protect themselves. Their tough scales are a great suit of armor, making them hard to bite.
Poachers kill pangolins for their scales and meat. Like rhino horns, pangolin scales are believed to have medicinal qualities. This isn't true at all! These kinds of myths cause demand for the body parts of threatened and endangered animals.
Pangolins are really sweet creatures, with cute little faces. They're a lot like anteaters in that they have long tongues that they use to eat insects. Pangolins also have really poor vision, and mainly rely on scent and hearing. They search for their food during the night, and during the day they sleep curled up in a little ball.
They're generally pretty chill animals. I mean, look at that face.
These guys are protected and there is a ban on the trading of pangolin skin, scales, and meat, but their numbers are still dwindling. Destruction of their environment is a big contributor to the death of the pangolin.
Thankfully, the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group was formed to help address the threats facing the pangolin, and to spread awareness about the species. The more people who know about pangolins and how adorable they are, the more likely they are to survive.
