Thick-tailed Pangolin

The thick-tailed pangolin possesses some of the most effective armour in the mammalian world. Around 13 rows of sharp, moveable scales, which are shed periodically, cover its body. The snout, the inside of the limbs and the underside of the body are unprotected, but the pangolin can roll up into a tight ball when threatened, thus ensuring only its scales are exposed. The thick-tailed pangolin also has three or four hairs in between each of its scales, providing protection from attacks from its primary prey – ants and termites.