Tree Pangolin

Thanks anita1; it's tail is also prehensile (see picture #4) which means it can hold on to things with it's tail, just like many monkeys can.

Thanks so much, manuelc1

Thanks Dez! These lovely beings deserve better than our world is giving them, that's for sure.

Happy World Pangolin Day 2013 to you too Smith's Zoo (Dez)! These sweet creatures deserve a day, or a week, to come to people's attention.

Thanks Smith'sZoo and Jakubko; they are both otherworldly and cute at the same time!

Thanks Smith'sZoo and FoTony. These are the sweetest creatures.

Thanks bhargav.py. They are wonderful creatures. There are two other pangolins on PN at: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/8016372 and http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/16397025

I know JoshuaAsel, they're really amazing. Here's the other Tree Pangolin on Project Noah, which got released back to the wild: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/8016372

I visited the zoo today and was delighted to find Baba feeling much better than he had seemed last time I was there. The veterinarian had found some infected lesions in his mouth and he was treated with antibiotics for a month. Today he was animated and slurped up a big dish of pangolin gruel with his amazingly long tongue. I forgot to take my camera, so no new pictures....next visit.

A bit more about the pangolin: http://www.savepangolins.org/what-is-a-pangolin/ http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/pangolin

Saw this guy at the zoo again today and have updated this spotting. He's an African White-bellied Tree Pangolin, and he's the ONLY Pangolin in the Western Hemisphere! The zoo also had a female but she has died. They got these two when they were intercepted (with twelve others) being smuggled into the US for the pet trade. Apparently these are very difficult to keep alive so smuggling them for pets is ludicrous (well, all exotic animal smuggling is horrible, isn't it?). This guy is over four years old, and the female lived almost that long, so the San Diego Zoo has figured out how to take care of them pretty well. So here's some of what I learned today -- -- Their tounge comes out about 8 inches but it starts deep in their bodies at their hips! -- Their scales are made of the same thing as our fingernails, and do not fall out. -- They are very strong; they can hold themselves up just by hanging from their tails. I don't expect to see this little guy again because I'm pretty sure he's nearing the end of his life, but I've loved meeting him these two times.

NPR The World piece on Pangolin smuggling (sadly). http://www.theworld.org/2011/09/pangolin-thailand/

Even at the SD Zoo, he/she wasn't really on display; just out getting some fresh air with a couple of keepers. I was lucky to see her/him.

Thanks Dan. Learning Project Noah etiquette as I go. Change made.