Indian pangolins

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

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