Chinese police have rescued from poachers 39 rare pangolin Bashny.Net

Chinese region of Guangxi police stopped a suspicious vehicle. They found it strange that the car was too slow, like a heavily loaded, and there were only two people.
When police searched his felt a strong animal smell, and soon they were able to detect hidden under the seats 39 live lizards, pangolins. One of the drivers at the moment disappeared from the scene and are still looking, and the other managed to grab.




Pangolin are rare and endangered animals, but despite the status and the international embargo on trade in Chinese restaurants, their meat is considered a delicacy, so frequent cases of poaching and illegal pangolin shipments from Indonesia to China.





Asian healers also claim that pangolin scales stimulates lactation in women who cures cancer and asthma (no scientific evidence this). Over the past ten years, there were many seizures illegally transported pangolin or parts of their bodies; in one of these detentions by the owner of the Chinese ship seized 10 tons of pangolin meat.





Pangolin or Lizards (lat. Pholidota) - detachment of placental mammals (according to the latest genetic research, sometimes included as a suborder of the squad Cimolesta). Their name comes from the Malay pengguling («folding into a ball»).
The body length of 30-88 cm, tail length - about the same; 4 weigh from 5 to 27 kg. The body is covered with large horny scales rhombic, imbricate to lean on each other; a muzzle, belly, lower body and the inner surface of the legs are covered with short harsh hair. Scales moving their back edge sharpened. As the erasure they are replaced by new; their number remains constant. Scales have a protective value, any secondary and have no direct connection with the horn cover reptiles.





Inhabit open terrain and rainforests. Terrestrial and arboreal animals. Are nocturnal, hiding during the day in deep (up to 7, 5 m) holes or hollows, and the trees. Movement slow; the fastest of the pangolin (steppe lizard) runs at a speed of 3, 5-5 km / h.
May, like the kangaroo, rising on its hind legs with a support on the tail. When the danger of pangolins curl up into a ball. Open it only by large predators - such as tigers or leopards. It is also emitted from the anal glands of the liquid with a disgusting smell deters enemies. Pangolin have poor vision and hearing, but a great sense of smell.



They feed on ants and termites. Studies have shown that saliva has pangolin attractive to insects honey smell; cotton swab moistened with saliva that attracts termites and ants. In the stomachs of pangolin found from 150 to 2,000 grams of insects (mostly 2-3 species). Other food these animals almost never use, which complicates their maintenance in captivity.



Source: goodnewsanimal.ru