A Day in the Life of Pam Golin Quiz

Answer: She is scaly like an armadillo, and has no teeth like an anteater.

Pam, our ravishing pangolin, isn't the only animal that has this issue. Sloth bears have been placed in both Edentata and Xenarthra over the years, but now they have been put into their own category of Melursus.

Answer: Australia

Pangolins are critically endangered, with species living in parts of Asia and Africa. Pangolin soup is also a delicacy in parts of Thailand, and can be bought in most restaurants. They are classed as an endangered species by the CITES appendix II or III, depending on the species, and the skin is often used as an alternative to leather.

Answer: 'Pangolin' means 'rolling over' in Malayan. This refers to the ball shape that the animals adopt when they feel threatened, or when they are asleep.

The scales of the pangolin are often razor sharp, and although they have large claws to protect themselves, they would rather act defensively than offensively when confronted. They can lash out with their scales, and are generally very well equipped for self-defence.

Answer: Her sexy, scaly hip bones.

A small-scaled tree pangolin's tongue is anchored to its hip bones, and is around 61 centimetres (two feet) long. Pangolins range in size from the long tailed pangolin, which is only a foot long, to the giant pangolin which is almost six feet long. The smaller pangolins tend to be arboreal, whereas the larger species live in burrows on the ground.

Answer: Eomanis

The eomanis fossil resembles that of a modern day pangolin, and shows that the pangolin has hardly evolved at all since the Eocene period. Another very similar pangolin fossil has also been found in North America, showing us that pangolins got about a bit!

Answer: They hunt on the ground. They are well protected by their scales.

Pangolins eat social insects such as termites and ants, which are more often than not found in nests or colonies on the ground. With their sharp claws and long tongues, pangolins can easily rip open nests and lick out the insects inside, much like giant anteaters.

Although such social insects can be found in trees, a pangolin would never eat leaves. They have no teeth to chew the leaves with.

Answer: Vertebrae

The largest species of pangolins can have up to 47 vertebrae in their necks, backs, and tails. The tail of the pangolin is very important, as it acts as both a balance and an arm or sorts. It is prehensile.

Answer: One baby pangolin at a time

Twin pangolins have been reported in Asian pangolins but a solitary baby is the norm for pangolin pregnancies. The young pangolin is usually weaned by the age of three months, and after that, it will spend much of its life alone, much like other edentates and xenarthans.

The only time the pangolin will see another pangolin in its life will be when it is with its mother, and for mating purposes.

Answer: True

While running on their hind legs, pangolins will use their tails for support. The pangolin's tail is a very useful appendage, as they can use it for balance, for carrying their young, or as a hook for hanging from trees. The tail is prehensile, and as such, extremely useful.

Answer: Curl up in the hollow of a tree, like Brady, the Bradypus sloth.

All arboreal edentates and xenarthans curl up in a ball in a tree hollow when they go to sleep. This applies to pangolins, both species of sloth, and some sloth bears. Ground-dwelling pangolins will go to their burrows to sleep, but as Pam is arboreal, she would never do this.

That was one very eventful day in the life of Pam, our precious pangolin! Thanks for playing!