The pangolin possesses a cone-shaped head with small, dark eyes, and a long muzzle with a nose pad similar in color, or darker than, its pinkish-brown skin.

[3] The most noticeable characteristic of the pangolin is its massive, scaled armour which covers its upper face and its whole body with the exception of the belly and the inside of the legs.

The skin and scales make up about one-fourth to one-third of the total body mass of this species.

[4] The Indian pangolin has been recorded in various forest types, including Sri Lankan rainforest and plains to middle hill levels.

Features that promote an abundance of ants and termites like grasses, bare grounds, bases of trees, shrubs, roots, leaf litter, fallen logs and elephant feces are often present in pangolin habitats.

[3] The Indian pangolin is an almost exclusive insectivore and principally subsists on ants and termites, which it catches with a specially adapted long, sticky tongue.

The Indian pangolin is nocturnal and uses its well-developed sense of smell to locate ant nests or termite mounds and other food sources.

Foraging mostly takes place on the ground but may include arboreal ants, as seen in the rainforest canopy of Sri Lanka.

Pangolins tear apart and dig into mounds by using the three centre claws on their forefeet, throwing loose soil backwards with their hind feet.

[8] When feeding, the rostral part of the pangolin's tongue is quickly inserted and withdrawn to capture prey.

During the animal's mating period, females and males may share the same burrow and show some diurnal activities.

The Indian pangolin is threatened by poaching for its meat and scales, which are used and consumed by local people, but are also increasingly traded internationally.

The Indian pangolin is listed on CITES Appendix I since January 2017 and is protected in all range countries.