The pangolin and the armadillo did spend time together in the order Pauperodontiformes in the biological classification of N years ago. But after some thorough research, zoologists decisively ended the ambiguous relationship between the two families, pangolin and armadillo, and sent them to their respective homes in the taxonomic table.

The pangolin and the armadillo are pretty much the only two mammals that are usually covered in hairy gadgets that are clad in armor. Both of them seem to have specialized in the legendary Bruffley School, and digging holes is akin to the rhythm of a live excavator. When in danger, they coincidentally curl up into a ball and rely on their impenetrable hard armor to save their little lives. With so many **** the same point, pangolin and armadillo must be long lost brother? Not really!

Photo Comparison

Curling up into a ball covered with hard armor is the pangolin's and armadillo's life-saving move.

Pangolins and armadillos: each has its own home

There are eight species of pangolin in the world a*** living in warmer parts of Asia and Africa, and together they make up their own order of squamates in the order Mammalia. The pangolin has no close relatives on Earth; guys like horses and bats are barely distant relatives.

Pangolin

This young Malayan pangolin from the jungles of Southeast Asia is a member of the order Scelopoda in the order Mammalia.

There are 21 species of armadillos roaming the Americas, and they are joined by their close neighbors and relatives, the anteaters and sloths, the three families that together make up the relatively primitive order of mammals, the Anteaters. As the name suggests, the poor teeth of the order of animals are very problematic, anteaters are "toothless" people, armadillos full of lack of enamel small teeth is also quite weak.

Armadillos

The nine-banded armadillo is one of the most common armadillo species, named for the nine horizontal bands of armor in the middle of the body.

Pangolins and armadillos: scaly armor vs. plate armor

Despite the fact that pangolins and armadillos aren't family, they chose similar evolutionary paths, and an interesting convergent evolution has given them a similar appearance. But given the chance to make some serious comparisons, it's easy to see that there are quite a few differences between pangolins and armadillos.

The pangolin's entire body is curved and smooth, and its armor consists of a combination of numerous strong scales on the skin. Ancient peoples compared the pangolin to fish, giving them odd nicknames such as "pangolin" and "pangolin". The fish-scaled armor is so strong and allows the pangolin to move freely that it can even climb trees and plunder termite nests.

Most armadillos have a pair of pointed ears and a thin tail, painted like a rat in armor, and they are also called armored rats by some people. The armadillo's armor structure is quite different from that of the pangolin; their bodies, heads and even limbs are covered with large plates of bone and scales. These large plates of armor are almost impossible to bend, but the good thing is that armadillos have several rows of movable cross-banded armor plates in the middle of their bodies, so they can also curl up into a ball.

Awesome

The difference between the fish-scaled armored pangolin above and the plate-armored armadillo below is still pretty clear.

Pangolin and armadillo: very different fates

Despite both being armored little warriors in the mammalian family, the pangolin and armadillo's fates are worlds apart. Aside from unlucky humans, armadillos are the only animal group that can be infected with and carry the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. Considering the horrors of leprosy, very few gourmets dare to think twice about armadillos.

In our great foodie empire, armadillos are a traditional delicacy that ranks among the treasures of the mountains. Some ancient doctors, who had a big brain, also attached the pangolin's excellent hole-digging skills to "Tong", and boasted that the scales of the pangolin were a miraculous medicine for promoting breast milk and blood circulation, and opening up the meridians. As a result, the pangolin has been hunted and killed on a large scale for a long time, and all kinds of pangolins have long become endangered species strictly protected by laws and international conventions of various countries.

However, the thin letter of the law does nothing to stop human greed. Unscrupulous diners have almost eaten up all the pangolin at home, and their greedy eyes have also gone abroad. In recent years, our law enforcement agencies have seized tons of smuggled pangolin and scales on a regular basis. In the long run, the entire scale purpose of pangolin will become extinct due to the greed of our countrymen, and we will leave a dishonorable page in our history forever. Tadpoles, take action to protect the poor pangolin. Whenever and wherever you see people trading pangolin and its products, please do not hesitate to call the police!