Page 2 - Kind News, Jr. May/June 2022, Parent Guide

ANSWER KEY

Critter Clues FROM PAGE 7
Our mystery critter is the pangolin. These insectivores live in grasslands and
rainforests of Asia and Africa. Although they are sometimes referred to as “scaly
anteaters,” they are more closely related to bears, cats, and dogs.
Pangolins are solitary and mostly active at night. Although many are ground-dwellers,
some species like the black-bellied pangolin can climb trees. They can eat up to 70 million
insects a year, snatching up ants and termites with their legendary tongues. Their tongues
can be up to 28 inches long — sometimes as long as their bodies! Pangolins are the only
mammals that have scales. Their scales, made of keratin, are a great defense against predators —
they are so tough that even predators like lions can’t bite through them. When threatened, pangolins roll themselves
up into a ball and release a stinky fluid from a gland near the base of their tails.
Pangolins are in trouble! All eight species are threatened because of their use in the illegal wildlife trade. Believed to be the
most highly trafficked non-human animal in the world, they are poached for both their meat and their scales. There is a false
but widespread belief that their scales have medicinal properties, which plays a major role in their poaching. The good news?
Conservationists in Asia and Africa are working to help these animals. Taiwan has made significant progress in this effort and
now has the highest pangolin population density in the world.
FRONT PAGE: TROPICAL STUDIO/BIGSTOCK; REDROVER. THIS PAGE: (CRITTER CLUES) FRENCHP/BIGSTOCK.
How can you help pangolins? Despite their high level of trafficking, many people don’t know they exist. You can raise awareness
by talking to kids and adults you know about pangolins and their plight, or by donating to organizations working to save them. To
learn more, visit savepangolins.org.

Fishy Facts Crossword Porcupine Quiz TO THE RESCUE

FROM PAGE 6 6 1 Porcupines shoot quills at their predators.
T
FALSE: Quills fall off easily when touched, but porcupines
ACROSS E can’t shoot them. Scared porcupines make clicking noises
1. Friend M and their quills stand straight up. They may shake their tails,
4 5 3 7
2. Filter P S P L A N T S sending loose quills flying. Give scared porcupines plenty
1 F R I E N D P of space and leave them be.

3. Plants E
E O R A 2 Porcupines are clumsy.
DOWN Y R A C TRUE: Porcupines love climbing trees, but sometimes
they fall asleep on branches and tumble off.
4. Prey K T E
5. Snorkel E U 3 Porcupines’ quills have superpowers.
TRUE: Well, kind of! Porcupines' quills have antibiotic
L
6. Temperature 2 F I T E R properties. The quills are coated with a special material that
7. Space E helps prevent infections. The coating helps prevent them
from getting too hurt if they get poked with their own quills.
Where’s Raja? 4 Porcupines and hedgehogs are related.
RAJA IS HIDING ON PAGE 4! FALSE: Even though they look similar, porcupines and
hedgehogs are not closely related.

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