To show you just how similar Pangolins can look like reptiles instead of mammals (or perhaps how reptiles can look like mammals?), here is the armadillo lizard. As you can see, like the pangolin, it has scales and its defense is to curl up in a ball. They're found in southern Africa.
Some interesting facts about these:
Females give birth to live young (rare for reptiles -- most lay eggs). They also, on occasion, feed their young, which is even more rare to find a reptile caring for young.
Also, their defense, as I said before, is to curl in a ball. It helps that its scales are awkwardly shaped for a bird of prey to grab them, so they've got that going for 'em, too. For some reason, to curl, they must bite their tail and curl (see picture #2). It is thought that the Greek symbol for self-reflexivity "Ouroboros" (see picture #4), made of a serpent / dragon biting its tail to make a circle, derives from lizards like this one that perform the same behavior.
Some interesting facts about these:
Females give birth to live young (rare for reptiles -- most lay eggs). They also, on occasion, feed their young, which is even more rare to find a reptile caring for young.
Also, their defense, as I said before, is to curl in a ball. It helps that its scales are awkwardly shaped for a bird of prey to grab them, so they've got that going for 'em, too. For some reason, to curl, they must bite their tail and curl (see picture #2). It is thought that the Greek symbol for self-reflexivity "Ouroboros" (see picture #4), made of a serpent / dragon biting its tail to make a circle, derives from lizards like this one that perform the same behavior.
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