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Animal Themes
Mammals

Pangolins

Pangolins
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.44

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    agile, emit, horny, self-defense, species, predator, bony, leopard, wounds, armor, signal, except, scaly, termite, wear, giant
     content words:    Back Off

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Pangolins   
1     Pangolins wear armor! Except for their snouts, cheeks, throats, bellies, and inner limbs, pangolins cover themselves with rows of brownish, overlapping, horny scales. Their suits of armor send out a clear signal to any animal that plans to intimidate them -- Back Off!
 
2     Yet, if a predator (such as a leopard) is stubborn enough to ignore the message, it is in for a big surprise! Pangolins have two self-defense strategies. The first is to emit a foul-smelling secretion. If that fails to dissuade their pursuer, pangolins go for Plan B -- rolling into a ball! With their bony scales protruding, pangolins can inflict serious wounds to any enemy that attempts to unroll them!
 
3     Pangolins are mammals. There are 7 different species of them in the world, living in forested areas or grasslands of Asia and Africa. Some (such as the Chinese pangolin) are agile tree climbers, but others (such as the giant pangolin) are happy campers on solid ground.

Paragraphs 4 to 5:
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