page_title: Indian pangolin
section_title: Characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: Indian pangolin / Characteristics
caption_attribution_description: English: Pangolin found in Gir Forest, Gujarat, India
context_page_description: The Indian pangolin, also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent.
  Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. It can also curl itself into a ball as self-defence against predators such as the tiger. The colour of its scales varies depending on the colour of the earth in its surroundings.
  It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day.
  It is not common anywhere in its range, and is threatened by hunting for its meat and for various body parts used in traditional medicine.
context_section_description: The Indian pangolin is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is about 84–122 cm (33–48 in) long from head to tail, the tail usually being 33–47 cm (13–19 in) long, and weighs 10–16 kg (22–35 lb). Females are generally smaller than the males and have one pair of mammae. The pangolin possesses a cone-shaped head with small, dark eyes, and a long muzzle with a nose pad similar in color, or darker than, its pinkish-brown skin. It has powerful limbs, tipped with sharp, clawed digits. The pangolin has no teeth, but has strong stomach muscles to aid in digestion. The most noticeable characteristic of the pangolin is its massive, scaled armour, which covers its upper face and its whole body with the exception of the belly and the inside of the legs. These protective scales are rigid and made of keratin. It has 160–200 scales in total, about 40–46% of which are located on the tail. Scales are 6.5–7 cm (2.6–2.8 in) long, 8.5 cm (3.3 in) wide, and weigh 7–10 g (0.25–0.35 oz). The skin and scales make up about one-fourth to one-third of the total body mass of this species.
caption: Indian pangolin in Gir forest, Gujarat
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