Anteater or pangolin?
How to tell them apart
Pangolins are sometimes called scaly anteaters, but they’re covered in scales and not closely related.
Pangolins are sometimes called scaly anteaters, but true anteaters have fur and live in the Americas.
Quick answers
They differ on 3 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, awake when, do people eat it.
| Question | Anteater | Pangolin |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Insects only | Insects only |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Day & night | Night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? differs | No | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Anteater | Pangolin |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | South America, Central America | Africa, Asia |
| Habitat differs | Grassland, Rainforest, Forest | Forest, Grassland, Rainforest |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Length differs | 35 cm (silky anteater) to 1.8 m (giant anteater, with tail) | 30–100 cm |
| Weight differs | 18–39 kg (giant anteater) | – |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in differs | Fur | Scales |
| Lives | Alone | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 14–16 years | 15–20 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Anteater
Four species of toothless mammals that eat ants and termites, related to sloths: the giant anteater, the silky anteater and two tamanduas. Pangolins, aardvarks and echidnas are sometimes called anteaters but aren’t related.
Everything on the anteater page
Pangolin
Scale-covered, ant-eating mammals of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, also called scaly anteaters. They are nocturnal and solitary, and raise their one to three young for about two years.
Everything on the pangolin page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.