The Order Pholidota consists of mammals commonly known as pangolins, sometimes called "scaly anteaters". They are notable for their protective keratinous scales covering most of the body and for their specialized diet of ants and termites, which they capture with long, sticky tongues. Pangolins are primarily nocturnal and solitary, using their strong claws for digging into insect nests. They inhabit parts of Africa and Asia, living in forests, grasslands, and savannas. Pholidotans play an important ecological role as insect population regulators, but many species are critically endangered due to poaching and illegal wildlife trade.