Pangolin: an incredibly cute beast in the image of an armored lizard

These amazing animals for their unusual appearance even got the name "lizards", although they have nothing to do with reptiles. Pangolins are virtually invulnerable to predators due to their unique armor made of horn plates. But behind the frightening appearance of the pangolin hides a slow peaceful animal that can only harm ants and termites.

Several species of pangolins, united in the same genus, inhabit sub-Saharan Africa and regions of Southeast Asia. These animals belonging to the class of mammals are somewhat similar to anteaters and armadillos. A distinctive feature of pangolins are strong horny plates covering almost the entire body. The basis of these plates is keratin - a substance that is part of the hair and horns.

Translated from Malay, the word pangolin means "folding into a ball." This is the best way to characterize the pose that the animal takes in case of danger. Only large predators, such as tigers or lions, are able to deploy this strong ball. But even in this case, the pangolin will still compete for its life. Lizards have special glands containing a liquid with a disgusting odor. Like a skunk, they throw a fetid mixture into the face of the enemy, and more often than not, it saves their life.

Pangolins are very slow animals that lead mainly twilight and nocturnal lifestyles. At the same time, the pangolins move very interestingly, often using only the hind limbs for this, while the front ones are squeezed as unnecessary.

The unusual appearance and amazing structure of internal organs is largely due to nutrition. The terrible beast prefers exclusively termites and ants, which he obtains, ruining their homes. Therefore, his tongue has a length of up to 40 centimeters, while the size of the animal itself is approximately 80-90 centimeters. A surprisingly long and flexible organ is able to penetrate into the narrowest passages of termite mounds and anthills and from there to catch gape insects. Interestingly, the saliva of pangolins at the same time has a sweet smell attractive to insects. To help the flexible language, the pangolin has clawed legs that allow it to easily destroy anthills and termite mounds.

Pangolin is so closely associated with its breadwinner ants that it even arranges hygienic procedures with their participation. Horny plates, small eyes, and a stomach lined with thick epithelium help protect the pangolin from the bites of angry insects. But when a pangolin needs to get rid of parasites, it reveals its scales near the ravaged anthill. Angry insects make their way to the skin, bite the beast, releasing formic acid. It’s for her sake that the pangolin suffers all these troubles. Acid kills parasites living on the body, and when the procedure comes to an end, the cunning beast closes the plates, thereby taking the lives of their deliverers.