Credit: Tanzania mammal atlas project

Fun facts about the Giant Ground Pangolin:

At almost 1.8 metres long, the giant ground pangolin is the largest of all eight pangolin species.

It has small eyes and poor eyesight but an acute sense of smell and very good hearing, despite the absence of external ears.

It uses the abandoned burrows of anteaters or springhares to sleep in during the day.

Come nightfall it typically goes in search of ant and termites. Resting on its broad, heavy tail it uses its powerful claws to tear open the mounds and its long, sticky tongue to probe the cracks and tunnels for its nutritious quarry.

The giant ground pangolin has closable nostrils so ants and termites cannot get inside while it is attacking their nests.

www.arkive.org/giant-ground-pangolin/smutsia-gigantea