Page 3 - Kind News, Jr. May/June 2022 Teaching Guide

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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.
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 1 Porcupines shoot quills at their predators.
FALSE: Quills fall off easily when touched, but
ACROSS DOWN porcupines can’t shoot them. When they are
scared, porcupines make clicking noises and their
1. Friend 4. Prey quills stand straight up. They may shake their tails,
2. Filter 5. Snorkel sending loose quills flying towards nearby people
3. Plants 6. Temperature and animals. If you see a scared porcupine, give
OPPOSITE PAGE: F9PHOTOS/BIGSTOCK. THIS PAGE: (CRITTER CLUES) FRENCHP/BIGSTOCK.
7. Space them plenty of space and leave them be.
2 Porcupines are clumsy.
6 TRUE: Porcupines love climbing trees, but
T
sometimes they fall asleep on branches and
E tumble off.
M 3 Porcupines’ quills have superpowers.
4 5 3 7 TRUE: Well, kind of! Porcupines' quills have
P S P L A N T S
antibiotic properties. The quills are coated with a
1 F R I E N D E P special material that helps prevent infections.

E O R A Scientists think this might be because porcupines
are clumsy and often fall from trees. The special
Y R A C
quill-coating helps prevent them from getting too
K T E hurt if they get poked with their own quills.
E U 4 Porcupines and hedgehogs are related.
2 F I T E R FALSE: Even though they look similar, porcupines
L
and hedgehogs are not closely related.
E