Stephanie Sammann of Real Science examined the unassuming yet badass biology of pangolins, noting how their singular scaly exterior provides protection from the very fiercest of predators, while their extreme flexibility, combined with very long tongues, allows them to find food underground.
It’s the only mammal with scales used for armor, absorbing and deflecting massive force while retaining flexibility. It also has a tongue aslong as its entire body and giant claws that they sometimes hold in front of them in the most polite way imaginable.
Pangolins are also beneficial to the environment.
By consuming up to 70 million ants and termites per year, they help regulate insect populations that if left unchecked can damage trees, crops, and soil structures. As they dig for their prey, pangolins loosen and aerate the soil, allowing air, water, and nutrients to penetrate deeper layers, benefiting plant growth and supporting the wider web of life that depends on healthy soil.
Samman also explains how the pangolin’s extremely affable personality has led to its endangerment, which is due to opportunistic human trafficking of their scales.
Their gentleness and non-aggression, is tragically intertwined with their downfall. Pangolins are the single most trafficked animal on the black market. And not for the pet trade, like you might guess. That would be bad, but what’s happening is worse.
Fortunately, there are individuals and organizations, such as Planet Wild, that are working to halt the trafficking of pangolin scales through the use of geolocation, genetic tracing, and policy reform.
Pangolin poaching in Asia is declining, but only because Asian pangolins have become harder to find. The Sunda, Philippine, and Chinese pangolin are all critically endangered. …But things are starting to change. In 2020, China removed pangolin scales from the list of approved ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine and elevated pangolins to a level one protected species. Just this year, China’s Pharmacopia update removed all pangolin-based TCM products from the official list. This is a significant step towards protecting these endangered animals, but it’s not the same as an outright market ban.
Planet Wild’s Mission to Save the Pangolin
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