The Chinese Pangolin (or Manis pentadactyla, named after the five claws on their front feet) originates from Asia (India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Southern Chine, Hainan, and Taiwan).
They are classed as Critically Endangered due to being hunted for illegal trafficking. It is highly desired species in traditional medicine and hunted primarily for their scales despite zero evidence that it is actually medicinally beneficial. Despite preventive measures such as laws, education, rescue, and rehabilitation, as well as ranger training, until the demand for their use traditional medicine decreases, the population will continue to go down in numbers, perhaps even to the point of extinction in the wild.
Chinese Pangolins are nocturnal in nature, sleeping in burrows during the day and hunting for ants, termites, and other insects by night with their 40cm long tongues.
Even though the pangolins are promiscuous in their mating habits, they are difficult to reproduce in captive settings, adding to the problems regarding population numbers.
Chinese Pangolins are odd creatures in several ways. First: they are the only mammal with scales (which sadly makes them the most trafficked animal in the world). Second: newborn pangolins will have soft scales during the first three days of their lives, only then their scales will harden.
Fun fact: pangolins don't have teeth. Instead they eat small stones that will sit in their stomach to grind down food.
