Pangolins, often mistaken for reptiles or some sort of artichoke come to life, are truly one of nature’s most peculiar and enchanting mammals. Their most striking feature, a full suit of armour made of large, overlapping scales, gives them an almost mythical appearance. Yet, beneath this formidable exterior lies a surprising secret: pangolins are entirely devoid of teeth. This combination of dense protection and a complete lack of bite makes them a fascinating study in evolutionary adaptation.
A Coat of Natural Armor: The Marvel of Pangolin Scales
What Makes Up the Scales?
Imagine a creature covered head-to-tail in what looks like a mosaic of tough, fingernail-like plates. These are pangolin scales, and indeed, they are made of keratin – the very same protein that forms human hair and fingernails, as well as animal claws, horns, and hooves. Unlike the bony plates of an armadillo, pangolin scales are lighter yet provide substantial protection. Each scale is a hardened, compacted mass of keratin, growing from the skin much like individual hairs fuse together to form a horn. The arrangement is a masterpiece of natural engineering, overlapping like tiles on a roof or the bracts of a pinecone, offering flexibility alongside defence.
Growth, Wear, and Self-Maintenance
Pangolin scales are not a static feature. They grow continuously from their base, while the tips and edges naturally wear down from burrowing, foraging, and general movement through their habitat. This constant renewal ensures the armour remains effective throughout the pangolin’s life. They don’t shed their scales all at once like a snake sheds its skin. Instead, individual scales may be lost if damaged, and new ones grow to replace them. The scales cover almost the entire body, with the notable exceptions of the soft underbelly, the sides of the face, and the inner surfaces of the legs. When threatened, this softer underside is what the pangolin protects by curling into a tight, almost impenetrable ball.
The Shield in Action
The primary purpose of these scales is, undoubtedly, defence. When a pangolin senses danger, its first instinct is often to freeze. If the threat persists, it will curl up tightly, tucking its head beneath its tail. The scales, with their sometimes surprisingly sharp edges, present a formidable barrier to predators like lions, tigers, and leopards. Trying to bite or claw through this scaly sphere is a difficult and often painful task for an attacker. Some pangolin species can even use their powerful tail muscles to make a lashing movement, using the sharp-edged scales as a weapon. Furthermore, some can emit a noxious-smelling chemical from glands near the anus, similar to a skunk, further deterring unwelcome attention.
Pangolin scales are a unique evolutionary development among mammals, composed of keratin, providing a flexible yet strong protective covering. These animals are the only mammals known to possess such an extensive, true scale armour. This defensive mechanism is crucial for their survival against natural predators in their native habitats.
A Toothless Grin: The Pangolin’s Specialized Diet
It’s quite a paradox: an animal so well-armoured on the outside is completely defenceless in terms of dental weaponry. Pangolins possess no teeth whatsoever, not even rudimentary ones. This isn’t a defect; it’s a highly specialized adaptation perfectly suited to their diet. So, what does a creature with such formidable armour but no bite actually consume?
The Ant and Termite Connoisseur
Pangolins are myrmecophagous, a fancy term meaning they are specialist feeders on ants and termites. Their entire anatomy, from their strong claws for digging into nests to their lack of teeth, is geared towards this specific food source. They use their powerful front limbs, equipped with long, curved claws, to tear open ant hills and termite mounds or to strip bark from trees to access insect colonies. Once a nest is breached, another extraordinary adaptation comes into play.
The Phenomenal Tongue: Nature’s Flypaper
The star of the pangolin’s feeding apparatus is its incredibly long, slender, and sticky tongue. In some species, the tongue, when fully extended, can be longer than the pangolin’s entire head and body. This remarkable organ isn’t attached at the back of the mouth as in most mammals. Instead, its roots extend deep into the chest cavity, anchoring near the pelvis or the last pair of ribs in some species! When not in use, this extensive tongue retracts into a sheath in the throat and chest. Large salivary glands coat the tongue with exceptionally sticky mucus. The pangolin rapidly flicks its tongue into insect nests, and the ants or termites adhere to it, being drawn back into the mouth in large numbers. They can flick their tongues in and out several times a second, efficiently gathering their minuscule prey.
Chewing Without Teeth: The Gizzard-Like Stomach
So, how does a pangolin process a meal of hard-bodied ants and termites without any teeth to grind them? The answer lies in their specialized stomach. The pangolin stomach is muscular and has a tough, keratinous lining, sometimes with small, tooth-like keratinous spines pointing inwards. Pangolins also deliberately swallow small stones and sand, known as gastroliths, which accumulate in a part of their stomach called the pyloric region. The muscular action of the stomach, aided by these gastroliths and keratinous projections, grinds the insects against each other, mashing them into a digestible pulp. It’s a system remarkably similar to the gizzard found in birds, which also often swallow grit to help break down their food. This internal “chewing” mechanism perfectly compensates for the absence of teeth.
Navigating and Nourishing: Senses and Strategy
While their armour is impressive and their feeding mechanism unique, pangolins also rely on other senses to thrive. Their eyesight is generally considered to be quite poor. This isn’t a major disadvantage for a creature that is primarily nocturnal and spends a good deal of time underground or in dense vegetation. Instead, they have a highly developed sense of smell, which is crucial for locating ant and termite nests, sometimes buried deep underground or hidden within trees. Their long snouts are constantly twitching, sampling the air for the tell-tale scent of their prey.
Their hearing is also believed to be adequate for detecting disturbances or potential predators. When foraging, they move with a deliberate, somewhat shuffling gait, their noses to the ground. Some species are excellent climbers, using their claws and prehensile tails (in arboreal species) to navigate trees in search of ant colonies. Others are powerful diggers, creating extensive burrow systems for shelter and to access subterranean insect populations. The lack of teeth means they must be efficient in finding and consuming vast quantities of small insects daily to meet their energy needs. An adult pangolin can consume an estimated 70 million insects per year, a testament to the effectiveness of their specialized feeding adaptations!
