Pangolins are mammals o the order Pholidota. The ane extant faimily, Manidae, haes three genera: Manis, which comprises fower species livin in Asie, Phataginus, which comprises twa species livin in Africae, an Smutsia, which comprises twa species an aa livin in Africae.[1] Thir species range in size frae 30 tae 100 centimetres (12 tae 39 in). A nummer o extinct pangolin species are an aa kent.
Pangolins hae lairge, protective keratin scales coverin thair skin; thay are the anly kent mammals wi this adaptation. Thay live in hollae trees or burraes, dependin on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, an thair diet conseests o mainly ants an termites which thay captur uisin their lang tongues. Thay tend tae be solitar ainimals, meetin anly tae mate an produce a litter o ane tae three offspring which are raised for aboot twa years. Pangolins are threatened bi huntin (for thair meat an scales) an hivy deforestation o thair naitural habitats, an are the maist trafficked mammal in the warld.[2] O the aicht species o pangolin, fower species (Phataginus tetradactyla, P. tricuspis, Smutsia gigantea, an S. temminckii) are leetit as vulnerable, twa species (Manis crassicaudata an M. culionensis) are leetit as endangered, an twa species (M. pentadactyla an M. javanica) are leetit as creetically endangered on the Internaitional Union for Conservation o Naitur (IUCN) Reid Leet o Threatened Species.[3]
Pangolins are mammals o the order Pholidota. The ane extant faimily, Manidae, haes three genera: Manis, which comprises fower species livin in Asie, Phataginus, which comprises twa species livin in Africae, an Smutsia, which comprises twa species an aa livin in Africae. Thir species range in size frae 30 tae 100 centimetres (12 tae 39 in). A nummer o extinct pangolin species are an aa kent.
Pangolins hae lairge, protective keratin scales coverin thair skin; thay are the anly kent mammals wi this adaptation. Thay live in hollae trees or burraes, dependin on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, an thair diet conseests o mainly ants an termites which thay captur uisin their lang tongues. Thay tend tae be solitar ainimals, meetin anly tae mate an produce a litter o ane tae three offspring which are raised for aboot twa years. Pangolins are threatened bi huntin (for thair meat an scales) an hivy deforestation o thair naitural habitats, an are the maist trafficked mammal in the warld. O the aicht species o pangolin, fower species (Phataginus tetradactyla, P. tricuspis, Smutsia gigantea, an S. temminckii) are leetit as vulnerable, twa species (Manis crassicaudata an M. culionensis) are leetit as endangered, an twa species (M. pentadactyla an M. javanica) are leetit as creetically endangered on the Internaitional Union for Conservation o Naitur (IUCN) Reid Leet o Threatened Species.
