Page 104 - An Anthology of Intriguing Animals (DK)
P. 104
Pangolin
Some pangolins’ claws are strong enough to
excavate soil that is as hard as concrete!
F or many years, pangolins had people puzzled.
What were these strange creatures? Lizards?
Now we know that they are the only mammal covered
in scales. If a pangolin is attacked, it rolls into a tight ball
to shield itself. Its scales act like a suit of armor. Even lions
struggle to unroll them.
The ground pangolin plods along on its back legs because of
its huge, powerful front claws. Like a digger, it can quickly scoop
out soil to make a burrow. At night, it goes on raids. It rips open
rock-hard ant or termite nests to reach the juicy insects inside.
Pangolins don’t have teeth, but their long, sticky tongue is
perfect for slurping up their dinner.
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