Which EDGE mammal interests you more: The pangolin or the echidna ? (poll)

[CMP]

Thank you for @ChunkyMunky pengopus for your comment and vote !

What is it about the pangolin that gives it the slight edge apart from you not having seen one ?

I mean is it the appearance of these animals or an aspect of their ecology ?

I find pangolins very physically appealing, and like echidnas they are somewhat 'oddballs' of the mammalian world.
Their unique scale structure, tongues, and semi-fossorial behaviors are also interesting.
However, all of these things could also be said for echidnas or at least have an analog. The slight edge pangolins have is that I have never seen one, and for lack of a better description, they are cuter? Don't get me wrong, I also find echidnas very visually appealing.

 

[dinosauria]

The good ol' pangolin is a tad more interesting to me because it's the only scaled mammal, has a prehensile tail, does the entire ball-curling thing and also is in a ton of danger from poaching. Also it's interesting how it's technically related to the carnivorans.
The echidna is still cool though, with its backwards feet, egg-laying, electroreception and reproductive anatomy.

 

[Sausagefingers]

Echidna for me, the Pangolin rightfully gets a fair amount of press and I can't help feel drawn to the Echidna as it feels like somewhat of a forgotten under dog.

 

[WalkingAgnatha]

The nocturnal house of Taronga Zoo in Sydney, being the only captive long-beaked echidna currently in a public facility as far as I know.

There's a western long beaked at Batu Secret Zoo in Indonesia.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Echidna for me, the Pangolin rightfully gets a fair amount of press and I can't help feel drawn to the Echidna as it feels like somewhat of a forgotten under dog.

Yes, I definitely agree with you on that, I do think that the pangolin has recently really become a lot more familiar to the public because of some very successful campaigns to raise its profile and charisma.

I think its brilliant that the pangolin and its plight is more widely known by the general public but I do think that the long beaked echidnas in particular are still under the radar in that respect.

There's a western long beaked at Batu Secret Zoo in Indonesia.

Thanks for sharing @the racoon has spoken ! I didn't know that.

The good ol' pangolin is a tad more interesting to me because it's the only scaled mammal, has a prehensile tail, does the entire ball-curling thing and also is in a ton of danger from poaching. Also it's interesting how it's technically related to the carnivorans.
The echidna is still cool though, with its backwards feet, egg-laying, electroreception and reproductive anatomy.

I find pangolins very physically appealing, and like echidnas they are somewhat 'oddballs' of the mammalian world.
Their unique scale structure, tongues, and semi-fossorial behaviors are also interesting.
However, all of these things could also be said for echidnas or at least have an analog. The slight edge pangolins have is that I have never seen one, and for lack of a better description, they are cuter? Don't get me wrong, I also find echidnas very visually appealing.

Thanks for sharing @dinosauria and @ChunkyMunky pengopus !

I can see what you both mean about the pangolin as it does look bizarre for a mammal and it is easily to see why many people confuse it for some kind of reptile with those strange scales.

The echidna on the other does have that faint resemblance to a hedgehog or porcupine with the quills / spines, colouration and ambling sort of walk.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Interesting article on the conservation of the Philippine pangolin :

It’s not too late – yet – to save the Philippine pangolin, study finds

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Looks like the pangolin still has the edge over the echidna at the moment..

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

So the Pangolin definitely came out on top in this poll.

Here is a video of a very cute and endangered Sunda pangolin to celebrate the victory of the Manidae in the poll :