Pangolin
A double image of a Pangolin walking: This mammal walks with its rear legs, its front legs drawn up against its chest. Its back and both sides are covered with very tough and very sharp-edged plates. They are composed of fused hair. Its abdomen is soft and furry. Pangolins are edentulous, but they have an unusually long tongue with which it can reaches all the way into its stomach. The tongue is covered with a sticky substance, and can be extended 10-12 inches as a narrow ribbon to facilitat ensnaring insects. It is mainly an ant eater, and some termites. When the animal feels threatened, it rolls into a tight ball, with its tail covering its head. The very sharp-edged scales can inflict serious wounds on an attacking animal. Its tail constitutes 60% of its body weight, and is used as a protection for the head when the animal has rolled itsef into a ball. The tail is also used to climb trees. [Lafupa River Area, Zambia].
Pangolin
A double image of a Pangolin-lat and frontal views. The front legs are usually not used for weight-bearing and are retracted to protect the front claws, essential for digging up ants or to open up termite mounds. Its keen sense of smell enables it to locate insects in their burrow. [Lafupa River Area, Zambia].
Pangolin
A Pangolin fleeing: A full-length view. This animal is running on his stubby hind legs. The front legs are off the ground. Note the thin, over-lapping, razor-sharp plates, covering its body and tail. A guide told me that he had witnessed a lioness trying to eat a pangolin. It took her 1-1/4 hours to remove enough plates to get to the soft meat. A pangolin tends to be nocturnal, but I was lucky to find this one early one morning in the woodlands. [Lafupa River area, Zambia].
Pangolin and Leopard
Pangolin & Leopard: This is a shot of a most unusual event: A pangolin (its back resembles a tire tread) is walking right in front of a young female leopard of about 2-1/2 years. The young cat obviously wanted to play with the pangolin. She couldn't have injured the pangolin; indeed, she herself might have been badly cut by the sharp edges of the plates, but the pangolin wasn't interested. It just wanted to get into the security of its burrow (dark area, L upper-1/3rd). Maybe our presence influenced its decision.[Gomoto River Area, Botswana].