Giant Malayan Pangolin Skull

$182.00

The Giant Pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) is a pangolin species. The Giant Pangolin is the largest species of pangolins, or “scaly anteaters” belonging to the family Manidae. It subsists almost entirely on ants and termites.

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Description

Giant Malayan Pangolin Skull Replica measures 6.5 inches. Giant Malayan Pangolin Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Smutsia gigantea is the scientific name. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.

Giant Malayan Pangolins or Smutsia gigantea have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species.

Giant Malayan Pangolins or Smutsia gigantea are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring, which are raised for about two years.

Giant Malayan Pangolins or Smutsia gigantea are threatened by poaching (for their meat and scales) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats, and are the most trafficked mammals in the world.

Of the eight species of pangolin, four (Phataginus tetradactyla, P. tricuspis, Smutsia gigantea, and S. temminckii) are listed as vulnerable, two (Manis crassicaudata and M. culionensis) are listed as endangered, and two (M. pentadactyla and M. javanica) are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red.

The physical appearance of a Giant Malayan Pangolins or Smutsia gigantea is marked by large hardened overlapping plate-like scales, which are soft on newborn pangolins, but harden as the animal matures.

They are made of keratin, the same material from which human fingernails and tetrapod claws are made, and are structurally and compositionally very different from the scales of reptiles.

The Giant Malayan Pangolins or Smutsia gigantea scaled body is comparable in appearance to a pine cone. It can curl up into a ball when threatened, with its overlapping scales acting as armor, while it protects its face by tucking it under its tail. The scales are sharp, providing extra defense from predators.

Giant Malayan Pangolins or Smutsia gigantea can emit a noxious smelling chemical from glands near the anus, similar to the spray of a skunk. They have short legs, with sharp claws which they use for burrowing into ant and termite mounds, and climbing.

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Additional information

Weight 3 lbs
Dimensions 6.5 in
Malayan Pangolin Facts

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pholidota
Family: Manidae
Genus: Manis
Subgenus: Paramanis
Species: M. javanica
A critically endangered species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.