This species measures approximately 40 - 70 cm head and body length, and about the same for the tail.
Males are larger than the females.
The body of the Temminck's pangolin is covered with moveable, sharp scales, except for the snout, chin, throat, sides of the face, and the belly. The coloration of these scales gives this species a dark olive brown look similar to that of a pine cone and helps it to blend into many different surroundings. Temminck's pangolins have small, pointed heads with small eyes that are protected by specialized thick eyelids. This species also has a specialized stomach for digesting food items that have not been chewed. It has five long claws on the end of each limb and the tail is prehensile.