February 20 is celebrated as World Pangolin Day. The beautiful animal with perfectly symmetrical scales on its body is one of the most amazing creatures in the world.
Pangolins were once a common sight in India but due to ruthless poaching and black market of scaly items, the population has come down to a bare minimum.World Pangolin Day aims at promoting awareness against the inhuman poaching of pangolins.
Pangolins are a scaly variant of anteaters. They are mammals with an exterior formed by hard, plate-like scales. Pangolins are insectivorous. They are primarily nocturnal animals and are very hard to find due to their secretive, solitary nature.
The word "pangolin" comes from the Malay word "penggulung," which means "roller".
There are eight species of pangolin, including the Chinese, Indian, Sunda, and Philippine pangolin.
There are eight species of pangolin, including the Chinese, Indian, Sunda, and Philippine pangolin.
The strong and sharp pangolin claws are made of Keratin, which is the same protein that forms human hair and nails. It also forms the horns of rhinoceroses, the teeth of the baleen whale and bear claws.
Pangolins are nocturnal and solitary. They don't have teeth. They use their long, sticky tongue to hunt insects and gulp them. The long scaly tail of the pangolin allows it to climb trees and hang from branches. Pangolins are known as scaly anteaters
The Asian pangolins are the most endangered among the eight types. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the population of pangolins is at a threatening low.