It's Time For You To Learn About The Pangolin.

The truth will set you free.

Have you ever heard of a pangolin?

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It sounds like, perhaps, an obscure musical instrument...

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...or a long-forgotten Greek philosopher.

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But NO.

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In reality, THIS...

...is a pangolin!

You're probably wondering, what is that? ...A pinecone?

Maybe some type of giant arthropod?

Yikes.

Nope! Pangolins are actually mammals, closely related to sloths and anteaters. They are also known as spiny anteaters.

There are different subspecies of pangolins, which live in Africa and southern Asia.

These spiky creatures are often compared to the American armadillo, but the two species aren't closely related.

I like to think of pangolins as the platypuses of... something.

They come in all different shapes, sizes and colors- 8 different subspecies.

A plethora of pangolins!

And did I forget to mention?

THEY'RE PRETTY FREAKIN' CUTE.

Just look at that face!

They're BASICALLY living fruit roll-ups.

Their name, “pangolin”, is derived from the Malay word “pengguling”, which loosely translates to “something that rolls up”.

THEY LOOK LIKE A POKEMON.

I mean, come on!

Look at this cute little pangolin charm!!!

(It's not real.)

Unfortunately...

Doesn't this guy look like he's waiting to ask someone to prom?

These amazing creatures' biggest threat is human consumption and illegal hunting.

Their scales are made of keratin- the same material as elephant tusks, whale baleen, and human fingernails. This makes them very sought-after in illegal hunting. The problem is biggest in China where pangolin "farming" businesses claim that pangolin-derived materials can cure cancer and other ailments. In addition, they are often kidnapped and sold as exotic pets in other countries.

As a result, pangolins are endangered.

They range from vulnerable to critically endangered as of November 2010.

How can we help to save this amazing creature?

The answer is yes.

...By not consuming pangolins or pangolin products, donating to conservation projects, reporting wildlife crime if you see it, and spreading the word about pangolins to your friends and family.

And why wouldn't you talk to others about the pangolin? It's so dang cute!

With your help, we can save this amazing species!

Each pangolin consumes more than 70 million insects per year. They play a vital role in their respective ecosystems and each and every pangolin is worth protecting! (You can visit savepangolins.org to learn more.)

So...

In conclusion...

Nature (and pangolins) is amazing and worth protecting!

Credits to https://www.pangolins.org/2012/02/18/25-facts-about-pangolins/ and google.com for many of the statistics from this post.* *I wasn't paid to write this, I'm just a community member trying to share my love of pangolins!