Scaly anteater (8)
I believe the answer is:
pangolin
'scaly anteater' is the definition.
(synonyms)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for pangolin that I've seen before include "Creature" , "Scaly toothless mammal - nip along (anag)" , "Insectivore" , "animal" , "Scaly anteater - a long pin (anag)" .)