![]() As of January 2020, there are eight species of pangolin whose conservation status is listed in the threatened tier. Pangolins are threatened by poaching (for their meat and scales, which are used in traditional medicine ) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats, and they are the most trafficked mammals in the world. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring, which they raise for about two years. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales, similar in material to fingernails and toenails, covering their skin they are the only known mammals with this feature. A number of extinct pangolin species are also known. These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm (12 to 39 in). Manis comprises four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa. The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia. Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota ( / f ɒ l ɪ ˈ d oʊ t ə/). When cornered, however, in common with the almost equally daunting looking giant anteater, the giant armadillo will raise itself on its hind legs, using its tail to maintain balance, and extend its long front claws, ready to attack. Instead, normally it will try to flee or dig itself a burrow in which to hide. Unlike some other species of armadillo, the giant armadillo cannot roll into a ball to protect itself from attack. The banded arrangement of its body and neck allows for remarkable flexibility, and giant armadillos are also said to be good swimmers. Protected by its hard shell-like structure, which is composed of between eleven and thirteen movable bands around the body and a further three or four bands around the neck, the only natural predators the giant armadillo need fear in the forests of South America are the jaguar and puma. In addition, when necessary it can of course use those same claws to defend itself. It also uses its claws to dig burrows in sand banks and abandoned or active termite mounds, where it will spend much of its time underground. ![]() It has fearsome front claws, proportionately longer than those of any other mammal, with which it can quickly demolish the most hard-baked of termite mounds, in search of its tiny prey. Once it encounters a termite mound, it is capable of consuming the entire population of the colony in a single feeding session. It has also been targeted by the illegal pet trade, despite the fact that it tends not to survive for long in captivity.Īlthough the giant armadillo has more teeth than any other of the world’s mammal species –up to one hundred- it feeds mainly on termites and ants. These factors have combined to make it very rare throughout its natural range, and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies it as vulnerable, with studies indicating that its numbers are declining throughout its range. However, it has traditionally been hunted for its meat and has suffered additionally from habitat loss. ![]() The giant armadillo is found in South America from Venezuela to northern Argentina, and from Ecuador to the Guyanas and eastern Brazil. In the wild, it is believed to live for between 12 and 15 years. Known in South America by many local names, including tatú, tatú carreta, pejichi, cabazú and cachicamo, this remarkable looking mammal can grow up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh as much as 45 kilograms. The giant armadillo favors untouched primary forest, close to water sources, and therefore Tambopata National Reserve constitutes its ideal habitat.Īs its name suggests, the giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) is the world’s largest living armadillo species. The giant armadillo: More teeth and longer claws than any other mammal 28 February 2017 (9804 visits)
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