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    HomeScienceMeet the Pangolin: The scaly mammal that rolls into a ball

    Meet the Pangolin: The scaly mammal that rolls into a ball

    Explore the fascinating pangolin, the scaly mammal that rolls into a ball, highlighting its habits, diet and conservation.

    Gurpreet Singh
    September 23, 2025 / 16:05 IST
    1. Pangolin: Pangolins are scaly mammals known for their unusual appearance and ability to curl into balls. (Image: Canva)
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    1. Pangolin: Pangolins are scaly mammals known for their unusual appearance and ability to curl into balls. (Image: Canva)
    2. Natural Habitat: These elusive creatures live in forests, grasslands and savannas across Africa and Asia. (Image: Canva)
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    2. Natural Habitat: These elusive creatures live in forests, grasslands and savannas across Africa and Asia. (Image: Canva)
    3. Protective Sales: Pangolin's overlapping keratin scales act as armor, shielding them from predators and threats. (Image: Canva)
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    3. Protective Sales: Pangolin's overlapping keratin scales act as armor, shielding them from predators and threats. (Image: Canva)
    4. Curling Defense: When threatened, pangolins curl tightly, hiding their soft undersides and presenting an impenetrable shell. (Image: Canva)
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    4. Curling Defense: When threatened, pangolins curl tightly, hiding their soft undersides and presenting an impenetrable shell. (Image: Canva)
    5. Digestive Transformation: Pangolins have specialized stomachs that grind insects with tiny stones, efficiently extracting nutrients from prey. (Image: Canva)
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    5. Digestive Transformation: Pangolins have specialized stomachs that grind insects with tiny stones, efficiently extracting nutrients from prey. (Image: Canva)
    6. Specialised Diet: They feed mainly on ants and termites, using long, sticky tongues to capture prey. (Image: Canva)
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    6. Specialised Diet: They feed mainly on ants and termites, using long, sticky tongues to capture prey. (Image: Canva)
    7. Digging Experts: Pangolins have strong claws to dig into termite mounds and burrow for shelter. (Image: Canva)
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    7. Digging Experts: Pangolins have strong claws to dig into termite mounds and burrow for shelter. (Image: Canva)
    8. Solitary Creatures: These mammals are largely solitary, interacting mostly during mating seasons or when raising young. (Image: Canva)
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    8. Solitary Creatures: These mammals are largely solitary, interacting mostly during mating seasons or when raising young. (Image: Canva)
    9. Nocturnal Lifestyle: Mostly active at night, pangolins forage quietly for insects under the cover of darkness. (Image: Canva)
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    9. Nocturnal Lifestyle: Mostly active at night, pangolins forage quietly for insects under the cover of darkness. (Image: Canva)
    10. Cultural Significance: In some cultures, pangolins are believed to have medicinal properties, driving illegal hunting. (Image: Canva)
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    10. Cultural Significance: In some cultures, pangolins are believed to have medicinal properties, driving illegal hunting. (Image: Canva)
    Gurpreet Singh
    Tags: #pangolin #wildlife
    first published: Sep 23, 2025 04:05 pm

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