Formosan pangolin

The Formosan pangolin, also known as the Taiwanese pangolin, is a subspecies of the Chinese pangolin, an underground dragon. It is a critically endangered insectivorous mammal that is native to Taiwan. 

Four pangolin species occur across Asia: the Indian pangolin, the Chinese or Formosan pangolin, the Malayan or Sunda pangolin, and the Palawan pangolin.

Pangolins are warm-blooded, and like other mammals, they give birth to live young, nourish their offspring with milk, and have fur, though, in the case of pangolins, this fur is sparse and on their underbellies.

• Pangolins are shy animals that do not attack humans. However, you should not touch, chase, or corner them, as they will be frightened from your approach.

• Pangolins are on the verge of extinction due to habitat loss and illegal poaching. In the past 10 years, more than 1 million pangolins have been killed for the black-market trade. 

• 16 inch long tongues that help to capture ants

• Pangolins eat a variety of foods, including: 

  • Ants and termites, Insect larvae, Bees (pupae, Flies, Earthworms, Crickets, Sand, Small grains, Grass. 

  • Pangolins can eat up to 20,000 ants and termites a day, which is over 70 million a year. 

  • Favorite foods: Black ants, Pangolin can eat up 80,000 black ants a day.

• Scales

  • Pangolins are valued for their scales.

  • The scales protect them from snakes like Cobra. => Snake proof

  • Snake proof with heavy armor (scales) make them difficult to climb trees to eat cocktail ants since the scales are too heavy.

References:

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/18/taiwan-offers-hope-in-battle-to-save-vulnerable-pangolin

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