Rare Critter

Meet Baba the White-bellied African Tree Pangolin (said Pan- Go-Lihn).
He is 8 years old and currently the only Pangolin in North America, South America and Europe. It took a lot of trial and error at the San Diego Zoo to discover what to feed him so he would thrive. It's a lumpy looking gruel made of ground up bugs and certain vegetation.
His tongue is as long as his body and has a special sheath housing it under his chest/belly. Keeper Chad said that he can feel the tongue moving in the sheath when Baba uses his tongue while being held.
Of the seven groups of Pangolins, his group is the smallest in size. Not counting his tail, he is the size of a female cat. That tail is nearly a meter in length!
The scales are made of keratin just like our fingernails. They can protect from predators as large as a male lion! Pangolins curl up into a tight little ball by tucking their nose to their belly and wrapping their L O N G prehensile tail around their body.
When they reach maturity the scale growth slows considerably so if a scale is damaged it would probably never be replaced in their lifetime.
Pangolin are nocturnal, tree dwelling, solitary animals. The females usually have one offspring during their lifetime.
Some of the species are endangered. In some Asian countries, they can be listed on menus as a status dish - one of the many reasons they are becoming scarce.

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