Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumAfter 80 million years on earth, a shy and scaly wild animal is rapidly dying out in India
A handful of animals hold public attention when it comes to wildlife conservation in India. The lion, tiger, rhino, and elephant receive overwhelming focus, partly because of the drama attached to their sightings in the wild and partly owing to their tourism potential.
A few birds such as the great Indian bustard and the Indian vulture, too, get talked about.
Yet, Indiasand the worldsmost hunted animal is none of these. It is the pangolin, a toothless, pre-historic mammal that is estimated to have lived on earth for nearly 80 million years. In 2015, pangolins were the most traded species in India.
The sticky-tongued pangolin thrives on ants and termites. When threatened, the generally shy animal rolls itself into a ball protected by a scaly armourpangolins are the only mammals with scalesso tough that they can withstand even a blow with an axe.
Tragically, their protective shield is the primary cause for their near-extinction.
more
http://qz.com/643400/after-80-million-years-on-earth-a-shy-and-scaly-wild-animal-is-rapidly-dying-out-in-india/
Stupid people suck
Ghost Dog
(16,881 posts)until our overwhelming population explosion.
eppur_se_muova
(36,317 posts)mountain grammy
(26,666 posts)from the article:
muriel_volestrangler
(101,411 posts)Pangolin section from 32:30:
Nihil
(13,508 posts)> It is the pangolin, a toothless, pre-historic mammal that is estimated to have lived
> on earth for nearly 80 million years.
Until very recently (last few centuries), even predation by humans was within the
limits that this ancient species could handle. What it can't manage is the rapacious
out of control growth of a species that developed effectively unlimited transport,
unlimited capability to kill, unlimited capacity for greed and unlimited stupidity in
believing that pieces of random creatures will help erections ...
> In 2015, pangolins were the most traded species in India.
There are times when a disease that kills 99.99% of humans would be a truly wonderful
solution to the problems of planet Earth.