Pangolin — Chambers's Encyclopaedia

A detailed black and white illustration of a pangolin, showing its characteristic scaly armor and long, pointed snout. The animal is depicted in a crouched position, facing right, with its body covered in overlapping scales and a long, thin tail extending behind it. — Pangolin (*Manis pentadactyla*).

Pangolin, or SCALY ANT-EATER, a name given to the various species of the genus Manis belonging to the mammalian order Edentata, and confined to the Oriental and Ethiopian regions. The most marked peculiarity of these animals is their covering of scale-like structures, which are really formed of numerous hairs closely fused. The pangolin is most nearly allied to the Aardvark (q.v.) of South Africa, and like it is edentate and feeds upon ants. When threatened with danger these animals roll themselves into a ball like the hedgehog.