The Aztecs called them āyōtōchtli, Nahuatl for “turtle-rabbit”: āyōtl (turtle) and tōchtli (rabbit). The word armadillo means “little armoured one” in Spanish. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. javanica) are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.Īrmadillos are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata with a leathery armour shell. culionensis) are listed as endangered, and two (M. temminckii) are listed as vulnerable, two (Manis crassicaudata and M. Of the eight species of pangolin, four (Phataginus tetradactyla, P. Pangolins are threatened by hunting (for their meat and scales) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats, and are the most trafficked mammals in the world. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring which are raised for about two years. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites which they capture using their long tongues. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin, and they are the only known mammals with this feature. A number of extinct pangolin species are also known. These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm (12 to 39 in). The one extant family, Manidae, has three genera: Manis, which comprises four species living in Asia Phataginus, which comprises two species living in Africa and Smutsia, which comprises two species also living in Africa. Pangolins are mammals of the order Pholidota.
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