The animals of this genus, which includes all the existing forms, are called Pangolins or Scaly Anteaters, and are all of small or moderate size, terrestrial and burrowing, and feed mainly on termites. Several of them can climb trees. Their length varies from 1 to 5 feet. They can roll themselves up in a ball when in danger. Their peculiar elongated form, short limbs, long, gradually-tapering tail, and scaly covering give them on a superficial inspection more the appearance of reptiles than of mammals. The species are not numerous, and may be divided into two groups distinguished by a few not very important external characters; these groups also coinciding with the present geographical distribution of the genus. These two groups, according to Mr. O. Thomas, may be distinguished as follows. The Asiatic pangolins are characterised by having the central series of body-scales continued quite to the extreme end of the tail, by having many isolated hairs growing up between the scales of the back, and by their small external ears. They all have a small naked spot beneath the tip of the tail, which is said to be of service as an organ of touch. There are three species, viz. _Manis javanica_, ranging from Burma, through Malacca and Java, to Borneo; _M. aurita_, found in China, Formosa, and Nipal; and the common Indian Pangolin, _M. pentadactyla_, distributed over the whole of India and Ceylon. The African species have the central series of scales suddenly interrupted and breaking into two at a point about 2 or 3 inches from the tip of the tail; they have no hair between the scales, and no external ear-conch. The following are the four species belonging to this group:—the Long-tailed Pangolin (_M. macrura_), which has a tail nearly twice as long as its body, and containing as many as forty-nine caudal vertebræ, being the largest number known among mammals; the White-bellied Pangolin (_M. tricuspis_), Fig. 70, closely allied to the last, but with longer and tricuspid scales, and white belly hairs. These two, like the Indian species, have a naked spot beneath the tail tip, a character probably correlated with the power of climbing, and they are, moreover, peculiar in having the outer sides of their fore legs clothed with hair, all the other species being scaly there as elsewhere. Lastly, the Short-tailed and the Giant Pangolins (_M. temmincki_ and _gigantea_), both of which have their tails covered entirely with scales, and evidently never take to arboreal habits. All the four species of the second group are found in the West African region, one only, _M. temmincki_, extending also into south and eastern equatorial Africa. [Illustration: FIG. 70.—The White-bellied Pangolin (_Manis tricuspis_).]