Only a few weeks before the offspring becomes fully independent, the mother and her young can display brief spikes in diurnal activity.[5] Pangolins are sometimes found in pairs, but normally they are solitary, nocturnal, and behave timidly. They protect their soft underparts by rolling into balls when they feel threatened. They are strong diggers and make burrows lined with vegetation for insulation near termite mounds and ant nests.[2]