Despite looking somewhat reptilian, Pangolins are mammals. They are the only known mammals to have scales. These hard scales, which are made of keratin, help to protect pangolins from predators, especially when the pangolins roll up into balls to cover up their soft underbelly. They live in Asia and Africa. Their diet consists mainly of ants and termites, which they use their long tongues to collect, much like anteaters. Their large front claws are used to dig into termite mounds, trees, and soil to find prey. Since they don't have teeth, pangolins have a gizzard that is covered in keratinous spines, that, along with small stones that the pangolins swallow, help to grind up their food. Pangolins are nocturnal and have poor eyesight, so the primarily use their sense of smell and hearing to find prey. Despite being well adapted to their environment, almost all species of pangolins are endangered, and the rest are listed as vulnerable. This is because of poaching and deforestation. They are poached because their scales are considered to be valuable and their meat is considered a delicacy. Their situation is not helped by the fact that they only meet once a year to mate, and produce only one offspring at a time. In many places, such as China, they have been hunted to near extinction.
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