Sunda pangolin

말레이천산갑

The Sunda pangolin is a Southeast Asian mammal covered in tough overlapping scales. When threatened it rolls into a tight ball, and it laps up ants and termites with a very long tongue. It is critically endangered by poaching.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Forests of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia)
Diet: Insect eater
Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN CR)
Habitat: rainforests, forests

Quick answers

Where does the Sunda pangolin live?

It lives in rainforests, forests. On the globe you can find it near Forests of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia).

What does the Sunda pangolin eat?

Its diet: insect eater.

Is the Sunda pangolin endangered?

It is listed as Critically Endangered (IUCN CR).

The Sunda pangolin is a scaly mammal of Southeast Asia, found in forests of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and nearby countries. It is covered in overlapping brown scales made of keratin, the same material as your fingernails. Its body is 40 to 65 centimetres long, with a tail almost as long, and it weighs up to about 10 kilograms.

When it is frightened it rolls into a tight ball so that only its scales show. Its name comes from the Malay word pengguling, which means roller. It has no teeth, so it catches ants and termites with a very long, sticky tongue. Sadly it is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world and is listed as critically endangered.

How it lives

The pangolin is mostly a night animal and lives alone. It has thick, powerful claws for tearing into termite mounds and ant nests, a strong sense of smell, and poor eyesight. It spends time on the ground and in trees, and it can also live in rubber and oil-palm plantations. Females have one or two young a year and keep them in a burrow or tree hollow.

Why it is in danger

Pangolins are hunted for their meat and scales and are heavily trafficked across borders. Forest loss makes things worse. Because they eat huge numbers of ants and termites, they help keep insects in balance. Many countries now protect them. They are also called Malayan or Javan pangolins. Their scales protect them from predators such as tigers, clouded leopards and saltwater crocodiles.

Fun facts

Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals in the world; when scared they roll into a tight scaly ball.
It is covered in scales made of keratin, like fingernails.
Its name means roller in Malay, because it rolls into a ball.
It has no teeth and licks up ants with a long sticky tongue.
Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals in the world.