The Pangolin’s Defensive Mechanism
Have you ever wondered how a pangolin defends itself in the wild? Pangolins grow between 30cm to 152cm long and they usually weigh up to 33kgs. They are pretty light and small in size. The fact that they are nocturnal and solitary animals, with poor eyesight, makes them vulnerable to predators. Besides humans, the pangolin’s main predators are lions, tigers, and leopards.
One of the most interesting facts about pangolins, apart from the fact they are the world’s only scaly mammals, is how they behave when they feel threatened. Pangolins tend to roll themselves into an impenetrable tight ball like an armadillo. This makes it harder for attackers, like lions, to eat them, but unfortunately it makes it quite easy for poachers to pick them up and capture them. They also release a stinky fluid from a gland at the base of their tails – as a defense mechanism and they use it for marking their territory.
There are still many mysteries about this odd-looking scaly anteater’s behavior and habits with research being ongoing.
See more in this short video of a lion playing with a rolled up pangolin – Lions Attack Pangolin
To support saving these endangered mammals in the wild go to www.wildlifecrimeprevention.com and www.facebook.com/protectthepangolins