Facts about this animal Pangolins are distinguished from all
other Old World mammals by their unique covering of horny
scales, which are razor-sharp and overlap like shingles on a
roof. The Chinese pangolin is a medium-sized, relatively short-
tailed pangolin with a head-body length of 45-60 cm and a tail
length of 25-40 cm. The eyes are large for a pangolin, with
thick eyelids, and the external ears are well developed. The
tongue is long an narrow. There are large salivary glands, and
the jaws lack teeth completely. Fore and hind feet have five
toes each. The claws on the hind feet are much less strong than
those on the fore feet. There is usually a naked pad on the
underside of the tip of the tail. The scales are small with
bristles in between them and extend to the lower parts of the
fore and hind legs. They are dark brown to blackish brown, the
hair and unscaled skin greyish white to brownish white.
Pangolins are solitary and nocturnal. They climb trees and swim
well. When threatened they curl up into a ba