Have you ever seen a pangolin feed? Pangolin.Africa gives us a fascinating glimpse ahead of World Pangolin Day.
South Africa (13 February 2026) – It’s pangolin month! Leading up to World Pangolin Day on 21 February, wildlife organisations are taking the opportunity to shine a greater light on the world’s most trafficked and most fascinating animals – the pangolin.
There are eight known species of pangolin on the planet. In Southern and Eastern Africa, the Temminck’s pangolin, also known as the ground pangolin, is most common.
Many interesting facts surround the pangolin – and perhaps we’ll share more leading up to the 21st – but one of the most interesting is its remarkable tongue!
Most mammals have tongues that anchor near the back of the jaw or throat. Not pangolins. Their tongues can reach up to 40 centimetres – one of the longest tongues in the animal kingdom.
It attaches all the way down near the pangolin’s pelvis, which helps it feed on ants and termites in mounds. One pangolin can eat up to 5 million insects every year!
Pangolin.Africa shared that Pangolins are insectivores, feeding primarily on ants and termites.
The NPO recently shared a rare glimpse at a pangolin feeding, and it’s the most fascinating thing!
Its tongue darts around at lightning speed, capturing ants with a sticky saliva. Pangolins don’t have teeth – instead, insects are swallowed whole and sent to the stomach, where horn-like spines made of keratin, along with small stones which they swallow, grind up insects for digestion. When a pangolin rests, its tongue sits in its chest and abdomen.
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And the tongue is only the tip of the iceberg. Pangolins are endlessly fascinating and enigmatic!
Click here for an entire calendar of exciting animal awareness days coming up in 2026.
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