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Indian pangolins

  • Published
    27th Aug, 2022
Context

Indian Pangolin is one of the most trafficked animals in the world.

About

About Pangolin

  • Pangolins are the only mammal to be covered in scales.
  • To protect themselves, they curl into balls like hedgehogs.
    • When frightened, a pangolin will curl up into a tight ball to protect its tender underside, making it a prime target for illegal poachers.
  • Their name comes from the Malay word ‘pengguling’ meaning ‘something that rolls up’.
  • They are the most smuggled mammal in the world because people want their meat and scales.
  • A pangolin’s tongue can be longer than its body when fully extended and can be 40 cm long.

About Indian Pangolin

  • Indian Pangolins have thick scaly skin.
  • Indian Pangolins Hunted for meat and used in traditional Chinese medicine.  
  • Pangolins are among the most trafficked wildlife species in the world.  
  • Indian pangolin is the largest among eight pangolin species. 
  • Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian and the Chinese pangolins are found in India.  
  • Both these species are listed under Schedule I Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 
  • The nocturnal animal lives in burrows and feeds on ants and termites.

IUCN Red List 

  • Indian Pangolin: Endangered 
  • Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered

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