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Pangolins are scaly mammals belonging to the order Pholidata. They are the only mammals with the adaptation of a scaly skin.
The name pangolin is derived from the Malay word pengguling meaning something that roll up. Pangolins are usually nocturnal in nature, but the long-tailed pangolin is also active by day. Most of the daytime is spent sleeping, curled up into a ball. It is believed that the pangolin has lived on the earth’s surface for more than 40 millions of years now, adapting itself to the changing environment to be able to survive.
Pangolins are found in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia. Their habitat includes forests, thick bush, sandy areas and open grasslands. Some arboreal ones live in trees. Some other species live in burrows dug by them.The physical appearance of a pangolin is rather strange. Hard plate like scales covers the entire body. The scales are soft on the new born ones but gets harder as they grow up. The scales are made of keratin and are razor sharp. They provide defense for the pangolins have the ability to produce acid from their glands. They have short legs with sharp claws which they use while climbing or to burrow into termite or ant mounds. The average size of a pangolin ranges from 30 cms to 100 cms in length. Females are usually smaller than the males. Pangolins have unusually long tongues that further extends into the abdominal cavity. Large pangolins can expand their tongues up to 40 cms.