ES
Iron Man sports a
high-tech suit of
armor that shields
the superhero from
weapons hurled by
enemies. Pangolins
wear armor too. Their “suits” consist
of rows of overlapping scales that
resemble a pinecone. Made out of
keratin—the same substance in your
fingernails—the pangolin’s armor is
so tough that predators such as lions
can’t bite through it. It’s too bad
that this armor doesn’t come with
built-in jets!Gamora’s martial
arts skills of climb-
ing, kicking, and
leaping have helped
get her Guardians of
the Galaxy teammat
out of dangerous sit
ations. Pangolins are also agile. One
species raises its front feet slightly
off the ground and walks on just its
hind legs so its front claws won’t get
in the way. Certain pangolin species
can also hang upside down from tree
limbs by their tails and curl their
bodies as if they’re doing sit-ups!Moms carry
babies around
on their tails.Eight
species of
pangolins
exist in all. The animal
emits a stinky
odor when
threatened.GAMORAIRON MANWhen he senses
trouble, Ant-Man
shrinks to the size
of, well, an ant.
Pangolins, which ca
be almost six feet
long from head to
tail tip, have their own way of shrink-
ing. If the mammal notices that a
predator is nearby, it’ll curl into a
small ball less than half its normal
size. By rolling up, the pangolin
shields its stomach and face, the two
areas not covered in protective
scales. Unable to find a vulnerable
part of the pangolin to strike, many
enemies give up. Tiny can be tough.ANT-MANGAMORA
AGILITY!
IRON-MAN
ARMOR!
Pangolins may resemble superheroes. But right nowthey’re
ones that need help. Targeted by poachers for their scales
meat, pangolins are threatened. Luckily real-life heroes suc
as National Geographic explorer and investigative journalis
Bryan Christy are helping. Christy exposes methods poache
use to capture animals. By spreading awareness, Christy
hopes to prevent these criminals from harming pangolins. BRYAN CHRISTYANT-MAN
MOVES!
CLOSE-UP OF OVERLAPPING SCALES TNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS (^23)