Hulle bewandel die aarde reeds vir 80 miljoen jaar, eet miere en termiete (tot 70 miljoen per jaar!) en is skadeloos vir mense. Tog is ietermagôs bekend as die dier wat die meeste ter wêreld verhandel word en maak soveel as 20% van alle onwettige handel in wildlewe uit. Meer as ’n miljoen ietermagôs is in die dekade voor 2014 gestroop, hoofsaaklik vir hul skubbe wat geglo word ’n verskeidenheid gesondheidstoestande in tradisionele Chinese medisyne behandel en ook as ’n fynproewersdis in Viëtnam en China beskou word. In Afrika word ietermagôs verkoop as ’n tipe van “bosvleis” vir rituele en ook spirituele doeleindes en word dit ook in tradisionele Afrika-medisyne gebruik. Baie keer word die dier egter verhandel bloot vir klerasie en mode.

They have been walking the earth for 80 million years, eating ants and termites (up to 70 million a year!) And are harmless to humans. Yet pangolins are known as the most traded animal in the world and accounts for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade. More than a million pangolins were harvested in the decade before 2014, mainly for their scales which are believed to treat a variety of health conditions in traditional Chinese medicine and are also considered a gourmet dish in Vietnam and China. In Africa, pangolins are sold as a type of "bush meat" for ritual as well as spiritual purposes and are also used in traditional African medicine. Many times, however, the animal is traded merely for clothing and fashion.