Manidae (pangolins, scaly ant-eaters; cohort Unguiculata, order Pholidota) A family of animals which are similar superficially to the New World ant-eaters, to which they may be related distantly. Pangolins (or scaly ant-eaters) are nocturnal, insectivorous, terrestrial, or arboreal mammals up to 1.5 m long, lacking teeth, with elongated snouts, and tongues that are long, thin, and sticky. There are long claws on all five digits of each limb. The tail is long and prehensile in arboreal species. The dorsal surface of the body is covered with overlapping epidermal scales, and a manid will roll itself into a ball when threatened. The eyes and ears are small, the stomach simple. The brain is very small, the hemispheres folded. There is one genus, Manis, and several species, distributed throughout the Old World tropics except for Madagascar and Australia.

pan·go·lin / ˈpanggəlin; pangˈgōlin/ • n. a mammal (family Manidae) of Asia (genus Manis) and Africa (genus Phataginus) that has a body covered with horny overlapping scales, a small head with elongated snout, a long sticky tongue for catching ants and termites, and a thick, tapering tail. Also called scaly anteater.

pangolin (scaly anteater) Any of several species of toothless insectivorous mammals, covered with horny overlapping plates, that live in Asia and Africa. It has short, powerful forelegs with which it climbs trees and tears open the nests of tree ants, on which it feeds. Length: to 175cm (70in). Family Manidae; genus Manis.

pangolin scaly ant-eater. XVIII. — Malay pěngguling, f. pěng- (denominative element) + guling roll, with ref. to its habit of rolling itself up.

pangolin See MANIDAE.