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The Globe Artichoke

The more I investigate the , the more fascinated I become. These walking pine cones are amazing creatures. They are the only mammal on the planet armored with keratin scales.



















Native to portions of Asia and Africa, the pangolin (of which there are eight species) gets its name from the Malay term "pengguling ("something that rolls up"). The pangolin rolls up into a ball when threatened, and those scales are not only tough, but they are also razor sharp (ergo the gloves).

The closest living relative isn't the anteater, though the pangolin is also called the scaly anteater. Rather, its closest living cousin is the carnivora (one of the best names ever given to an animal).

If you want to watch some endearing footage of one, check out this video. They walk bipedally.











-- Edited by Dj_Rubbut at 13:47, 2008-08-09