Dr. Geoffrey M'Benga Reporting

Five-Toed and Four-Toed Manis (Chinese and Long-tailed Pangolin [Manis pentadactyla, Phataginus tetradactyla])

These pangolins are two of the eight extant pangolin (also known as scaly anteater or trenggiling) species.

The scales of these creatures are keratin - the same substance that makes our hair, fingernails, toenails, and rhino horns. They’re extremely effective as defense mechanisms, as the pangolin is able to hide all vulnerable parts of its body under spikes!

These creatures are also known as scaly anteaters due to their dietary habits: they love ants and termites. In fact, most of the time, pangolins don’t walk on the massive claws of their front feet, which are reserved for digging into ant and termite mounds and for some species, climbing trees.

Pangolins are native to south-east Asia and Central Africa, and are the most trafficked endangered animals in the world, both for the bushmeat and “traditional medicine” trades. The Asian pangolins are more endangered than the African pangolins. Because of their nocturnal habits and smallish size (even the largest giant pangolins are under 33 kg/75 lb, and most are much smaller), pangolins are more difficult to protect than the charismatic megafauna that have come to symbolize the animal-parts trade (such as rhinos, elephants, and tigers). Also confounding their protection is the lack of awareness of their plight.

No part of the pangolin confers any medicinal properties or compounds. They’re amazing lovely creatures that should be left where they are, to live their wonderfully scaly lives in peace. They’re not good pets, they’re not good trophies, and they’re useless for “medicine”.

Save the pangolins!

ask meme { broken + bruised }

The CMO gave a sigh, tilting his head to look towards M’Benga with a steady gaze. He didn’t know why he and Christine were so worked up, he was ғɪɴᴇ. Placing the PADD back onto his desk, he sat back in his chair, masking the wince at the pressure against his back with a half smile. 

“I don’t think you need a lecture on how many of which muscles are used just to stay sitting up.” Geoff crossed his arms and watched his friend expectantly.

Have a question about the Vulcan culture or biology? Do you enjoy the occasional foray into non-fictional science? Then you might want to check out a little sideblog that is (very loosely) a character ask blog for Healer Sorel and Dr. Corrigan, the medical professionals responsible for bringing Spock into being.

“I’ll send you a copy of the itinerary that I’m going to do with the tests, then you can double check with the others.”  That was one thing he didn’t mind passing off on Geoff.  The pork chop tasted good but he must not have been as hungry as he thought, by the time he was half way through it he didn’t want to finish it.  He tried to eat more though, he knew Geoff would be on his case right behind Chris if he didn’t eat something.  They’d been down on the planet for at least 12 hours and he wasn’t sure he’d eaten the whole time.  Come to think of it, he should be starving but he wasn’t.

“Sounds good.  If anyone can find some use of what we bring up, it’ll be Sulu.  Even if it’s nothing more than adding to the garden.”  Crew loved walking through the garden, it helped them feel like they were home, even if they were as far away from it as you could possibly be.  Picking up his glass, he drank half the water in a few gulps, then scowled at Geoff.  “Gee, thanks, that’s something I want to hear after I’ve been on a planet in the first time in god knows how many weeks.”  

Letting out a snort, he picked at the rest of his pork chop.  “You don’t look all that great yourself, you know.  But fine, just to shut you up as soon as the plants are cleared and I start the tests, I’ll get a few hours of sleep.  Then you’re going to do the shame.”  He gave Geoff an evil smile.  “Or I’ll sic Christine on you and get her to make you get some sleep.”  As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was feeling a little tired.  Maybe he’d over done it down there.  Then again, he hadn’t felt tired since before Olduvai, not that he’d tell Geoff that.  Maybe he had been pushing his limits lately.  “But it’ll have to wait until everything else is done first.  We can’t have anyone standing around doing nothing, can we?”  This time he let out a small chuckle.

drmbenga

Geoff had intended that Leonard get some sleep a bit sooner... as in after they ate. But getting him to admit that he did in fact need rest at all and agree to it was a miracle in itself so the doctor wasn’t about to get choosy just yet. Keeping an eye on him until that time will have to suffice. “Fine, fine. We have a deal. We’ll both rest once things get squared away,” he managed to get out around a mouthful of sandwich. He swallowed before he continued. “Nothing is more terrifying than Chris on a mission.”

Truth be told, he could use the rest. Going down to a planet had been a nice change of pace, but nice scenery or no, 12 hours of work was still nothing to sneeze at. They were all going to need rest. Leonard probably moreso than the others was difficult to pin down. While the man seemed to have perpetually more energy than anyone else, everyone needs to rest sometime. It was nice that he didn’t have to pull teeth to get it done this time. One less thing to worry about. 

The meal was finished without much fanfare as M’Benga was eager to get started on getting the research in planned so they could all take a well-deserved break all the sooner. He had left Leonard at his office so he could get his proposed research plans in order while Geoff worked on his own list, planning to simply cross off any that his friend’s research might satisfy. It would be easier this way. Walking into Leonard’s office, he did notice something that gave him cause for concern. “Are you sure you’re alright? You’re looking a little pale.” 

Okay so people who actually check this blog may have realized that I have changed my theme. While I was at it, I decided that I want a new icon as it was bothering me that I based it off of the Red Cross rather than the caduceus. My dumb brain also decided that I should play around with the colors.

Fun fact: I know absolutely nothing about color theory.

At first I used basic colors (the grid isn’t in any actual order) but then eventually started desperately pulling from palettes I found online. And everything is now kind of a mess.

Anyway, I’m putting the choice up to you folks. Are there any of these that you think would make a good icon? P is there for you to suggest your own color combo to me. I was just kind of choosing randomly and I know there are people out there who know way more about this or simply like an unlisted combo better. 

Okay so people who actually check this blog may have realized that I have changed my theme. While I was at it, I decided that I want a new icon as it was bothering me that I based it off of the Red Cross rather than the caduceus. My dumb brain also decided that I should play around with the colors.

Fun fact: I know absolutely nothing about color theory.

At first I used basic colors (the grid isn’t in any actual order) but then eventually started desperately pulling from palettes I found online. And everything is now kind of a mess.

Anyway, I’m putting the choice up to you folks. Are there any of these that you think would make a good icon? P is there for you to suggest your own color combo to me. I was just kind of choosing randomly and I know there are people out there who know way more about this or simply like an unlisted combo better.