Pangolins are extraordinary animals. They are the world’s only truly scaly mammals, and when curled up, this tough coat of armour makes them almost completely predator-proof! Pangolins are expert anteaters, consuming more than 70 million ants and termites per year with a sticky tongue so incredibly long that it is rooted in their pelvis. Whilst raiding the nests of their prey, they are able to seal their eyes, ears and nostrils shut in order to protect them from swarming ants and their bites or stings, while their scales keep them away from their skin. Sadly, while these scales are an excellent adaptation to the pangolin’s natural environment and lifestyle, they also put them at great risk of wildlife trafficking. Made of keratin, the same as rhino horn and just like our hair or fingernails, they are believed to have medicinal properties in parts of Asia and Africa, which has led to unsustainable levels of poaching and illegal trade of these unique and fascinating creatures.
Here at the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group, we recently nominated the Sunda pangolin for Arkive’s Valentine’s poll to find the world’s favourite underappreciated species.
To come top in this would be an AMAZING boost for raising awareness of pangolins and the threats they face as the most illegally trafficked mammals on the planet. World Pangolin Day is also coming up on the 20th of February and it would really add to our celebrations for Sunda pangolins to have just been crowned the world's favourite underappreciated species!
To find out more about why Sunda pangolins deserve a whole lotta love read our blog post here and then please cast your vote for the Sunda pangolin before midnight PST tomorrow!!
Thank you all and please share far and wide to help spread the love :)
Find out more about pangolins:
IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group - IUCN Red List - Save Pangolins - Arkive
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for loads more interesting facts as we count down to World Pangolin Day 2016!
