scaly anteater

Also called scaly anteater. A mammal with short legs covered in brownish red overlapping scales making it look like a pinecone on legs. Only the underside lacks scales. It has a long scaled tail and 5 long curved claws on each foot. In case of danger, it rolls up like a ball, only exposing hard scales. Its head is small and pointed with very small eyes, and it has a long sticky tongue for catching his diet of ants and termites, tracked down at night by smell. The pangolin is home in Asia's and Africa's forests and savannahs. Young pangolins are taxied around on the tail of their mother. Back in Eocene, pangolins also inhabited Europe. Now, several of the 8 species are endangered