Pangolin


 * ​**Tree Pangolin

//​// The Tree Pangolin climbing into a tree where they like to live. A defense mechanism where they curl up and use their armor to protect themselves. **__Ecology ​__** //Species Interactions With Other Organisms// The Tree Pangolins are mainly non violent and mainly eat ants, termites and other insects. You can consider them as insectivore consumers. Their main predators are leopards, hyenas, and pythons. When approached by a predator, the tree pangolin rolls into a ball. The scales act like a coat of armor and are sharp enough to injure a predator. The tree pangolin can also secrete a smelly substance from their anal glands which will scare off a predator. They are non violent, self protective, resilient, and mainly friendly so they are mutualistic to most animals except their predators.
 * __Basic Statistics__ :** //Manis tricuspis//
 * Genus:** Manis **Family:** Manidae **Order:** Pholidota **Class:** Mammalia **Phylum:** Chordata **Kingdom:** Animalia

//Species Place In The Environment// The Tree Pangolin live in a rain forest where there are large vegetation and unique plant communities. There are also a wide variety of birds. The weather is mainly humid, sunny or rainy.

//Anatomical Structure// The Tree Pangolin has a very unique body plan.They are approximately 4 to 5 pounds and look like a small rodent almost similar to something like a ferret. The big difference is that instead of fur it has scales that are very hard and have three points. These scales cover every part of the Pangolin except the under belly and some of the face. The scales protect the Pangolin and let them survive in their environment. The tail, also covered in the scales, helps them keep their balance while they climb trees. Another trait the Pangolin have is the long sticky tongue which help them reach the ants and termites in which they consume.
 * __Physiology__ ** 

//Reproduction// Male and female Pangolin prefer to live alone but if the female has offspring she will stay and raise it. The male will roam around by himself during mating season and each female will give birth to only one baby. The gestation period is 150 days and the newborn will stay with the mother for about 4 months. During that time, the mother will protect the newborn by rolling into a ball around it. The infant cannot walk for a few weeks after birth so it attaches to the mother's tail and is carried around through the trees.

** __Interesting Facts__ ** Pangolins, echidnas, aardvarks, and the anteater are not closely related, but "Convergent Evolution’ (where animals evolve in similar ways to fit similar environments and ways of life) which has given them long sticky tongues and stout digging claws." They are all mammals, but their body coverings are different. Anteaters have normal mammal hair, the Echidna have spines, the Aardvark is almost naked, and the Pangolins are uniquely scaly. There are eight living species of pangolin. Pangolins are nocturnal animals, and they can give off nasty smells from glands under their tail, rather like the skunks. "Pangolins live in Africa and Asia – four species on each continent. The Indian, Chinese, Malayan, and Philippine, are obviously Asian – the Giant, Ground, Tree, and Long-tailed, less obviously, African. All eight species are covered in scales made of the same stuff as human finger-nails, and they eat ants – hence they are often known as the ‘Scaly Anteaters’."

**__Citations__

Vetter, Suzanne. "Angolan Scarp savanna and woodlands". World Wildlife Fund. 5/12/2010  __<[] >.__ **

Tygart, Valerius. "Tree Pangolin". 5/12/2010 <[] >.

http://zoology.suite101.com/article.cfm/asian_and_african_pangolins