![]() The head of the pangolin is small compared to the body, and elongated. ![]() It serves as protection against its predators: when feeling threatened it rolls itself up and becomes an armoured ball. These scales form an armour that covers the top of the head, all the back and tail, but not the face, throat, belly and the inside of the legs. The pangolin is also the only mammal with scales-similar to those of fish and reptiles, while t he shell of the armadillo is bony in nature. This makes it one of the few mammals-along with humans and some primates and kangaroos-that practice bipedalism. The truth is that almost everything about this animal is special, from its unique appearance-which has earned it descriptions such as an “anteater with scales” or an “artichoke with legs”-to its comical and humanoid ability to stand on its two hind legs and, with the support provided by its powerful prehensile tail, wobble forward. Here we review what makes this animal so different and so coveted. ![]() He discovered it after rescuing one from a cooking pot in Asia during the filming of a documentary. Huge numbers of them are illegally exported, mainly to China,” said Attenborough. “It’s one of the most endearing animals I have ever met. When the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough was invited to choose which ten threatened animals he would save from extinction, one that he placed on his list was the mysterious pangolin, the only mammal on the planet with scales.
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