Pangolin

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pangolin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Pholidota. This order comprises eight extant species distributed across Africa and Asia
2. What makes a pangolin's scales special?Pangolins have hard, overlapping scales made of keratin that cover their bodies like a pinecone. These scales help protect them when they roll into a ball.
3. How does a pangolin eat ants and termites?A pangolin uses a very long sticky tongue that can reach over its body. The tongue is coated with mucus, letting it scoop insects from deep nests.

Pholidota: The taxonomic order to which all pangolin species belong, characterized by their unique scaled armor.
Keratin: A structural protein that forms the protective scales of pangolins, as well as hair, nails, and feathers.
Insectivorous: An organism that primarily consumes insects as its food source, a defining trait of pangolins.
Fossorial: An animal adapted for digging and living primarily underground, a characteristic of many pangolin species.