Phataginus – African tree pangolins

The African tree pangolins are the climbers of the pangolin world—two small, shy species that trade the forest floor for branches and vines. What makes them different from other pangolins is its lifestyle in the trees and the gear to match: a long, powerful tail that acts like a fifth limb, a grippy bare pad at the tip for anchoring to bark, and lighter, nimbler bodies for threading through leaves. While African ground pangolins lumber between burrows on open land and Asian species split time between trees and ground, African tree pangolins are the true canopy specialists—quiet, careful, and built for climbing.

Look closely and their tools tell the story. Their scales are tough but flexible, made of the same stuff as your fingernails, giving armor without sacrificing movement. The tail does the heavy lifting—these pangolins can hang, pivot, and brace with it while peeling bark to reach ant nests. Up front, long curved claws hook into bark like ice tools, and when walking, they tuck their hands under and move on their knuckles to protect those claws. They have no teeth; instead, a long, sticky tongue—stored deep in the chest when not in use—whips out to slurp ants and termites. To raid a nest without a face full of bites, they can clamp shut their nostrils and ears, and if danger finds them, they curl into a tight, rattling ball of scales. Many pangolins can swim, but tree pangolins are especially agile above ground, crossing vines as neatly as a tightrope.

Each animal patrols a loose route of favorite trees, resting by day in hollows or dense tangles and foraging by night for thousands of ants and termites. Mothers usually have a single “pangopup,” which rides along the base of the tail or clings to the mother’s back while she feeds—adorable, and practical in a three-dimensional world.