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SL91 white-bellied pangolin male juvenile_(c) Sangha Pangolin Project 1600wide

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Extinction a natural process in which, nature extinguishes one type of life to get that ecosystem ready for the next type of life. For example, dinosaurs used to rule the world, but when they were destroyed, nature used it to its advantage and new creatures emerged.

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Most people think that Pangolins are basically a scaly anteater but are more closely related to cats, dogs, and bears, than to ant-eaters  . There are 8 different species of pangolin and are the only mammals that are known to have scales. Pangolins also roll up into tight balls, a little bit like hedgehogs.  Pangolins are found across Asia and Africa.

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I chose Pangolins when I was looking on the web for 'Exotic animals that are going extinct in 2020,' and these adorable little creatures came up. I have always had a heart for animal that are being poached to extinction. For example, the first time I heard about Dodos, I cried my eyes out. So the main reason I choose Pangolins was to make people aware of the "most trafficked Animal you've never heard of," as one site puts it.

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Average Life Span: Unknown
Size: 40 -58 cm.
Weight: 4.4-15 lbs.
Found: China, Southeast Asia, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal
Status: Critically Endangered
The Chinese pangolin might be the most endangered, out of the other eight species. Their meat is a considered a delicacy and their scales are mistakenly used for medical purposes.

Distinctions:
Chinese Pangolin is usually distinguished by its helmeted appearance and has slightly smaller scales, and a larger outer ear then the Indian Pangolin.  Sunda Pangolins and Chinese Pangolins have a similar size and weight but a Chinese Pangolin only has about 18 rows of scales.

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Average Life Span: Unknown
Size: Up to 22 in.
Weight: 11-15 lbs.
Found: China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia
Status: Critically Endangered

Distinctions:
Longer neck length than Chinese and Indian Pangolin and it had a fully usable tail.  Sunda Pangolins are the most widely distributed pangolin across Asia. These Pangolins are more likely to climb trees than to digging.

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Average Life Span: About 20 years
Size: 22 to 69 in
Weight:4 to 5 lbs.
Found: Islands of Philippines
Status: Endangered

Description:
The Palawan Pangolin was only just described as a species apart from the Sunda Pangolin. It can be distinguished from the Sunda by its smaller scales and smaller body. Palawan Pangolin have the most rows of scales out of all the other species Pangolins.

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Average Life Span: About 20 years
Size: 23- 27 in.
Weight: 20-40 lbs.
Found: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Status: Endangered

Description:

Their tails are  about 33 to 45 cm. One unique feature this species has  blond striated scales with 13 to 11 rows. Because Indian Pangolins scales are sharp to the touch. Male Indian Pangolins are typically larger then females.

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Average Life Span: Unknown
Size: 23 to 41 in.
Weight: 8-450 grams
Found: West, and Central Africa
Status: Vulnerable

Description:
The White-bellied Pangolin is the second smallest species of pangolin. It has an abnormal arrangement of scales and has smaller eyes than the Black-bellied Pangolin. The White-bellied Pangolin is a tree-dwelling species.

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Average Life Span: Unknown
Size: 50-55 in.
Weight: 70 lbs.
Found: West, and Central Africa
Status: Vulnerable

Description:
Giant Pangolins are a ground-living Pangolin species and are also the largest species, as their name implies. They prefer to live in moist habitats. They spend most of their days near their burrows.

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Average Life Span: 20 years
Size: 8-20 in.
Weight: 33-40 lbs.
Found: Southern to Eastern Africa
Status: Vulnerable

Description:
Ground Pangolins are the second largest pangolin species and have cone-shaped heads. Their scales are shaped like artichoke leaves and are a yellow brown in color.

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Average Life Span: Unknown
Size: 33-43 in.
Weight: Up to 8- lbs.
Found: West and Central Africa
Status: Vulnerable

Description:
The Black-bellied Pangolins is a tree-dwelling species and are the smallest Pangolin species.  These pangolin has 47 vertebrae in its body and 28 just in its tail. One way it's different than the White-bellied  This species also has a longer tail then the White bellied Pangolin.

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Because Pangolin meat is a delicacy in China and Vietnam,  their meat is $150 per pound. Their scales are considered to have medicinal properties even though that is not true because they are made out of keratin. But as a consequence, Pangolin scales are priced at $2 million on the black market.

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Pangolin species vary in 3.5 lbs to a maximum of about 73 lbs

Pangolins are good swimmers

1,122,756 Pangolins were poached from 2006-2015

the scales keep on growing through-out their entire life

The edges of a Pangolins scales are constantly filed down as the pangolin digs burrows in search of food

their scales overlap each other

Pangolins undersides are not covered in scales but in sparse fur

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The pangolin or scaly ant-eater ( Manis penta-dactyla dalmanni) is the most primitive of Chinese mammals, and although it is fully protected by law in the colony and island of Hong-Kong, the demand for its carcass makes more extensive protection in South China necessary ( Hong Kong Naturalist, July 1937, 79). The animal itself is eaten, but a greater danger arises from the belief that the scales have medicinal value. Fresh scales are never used, but dried scales are roasted, ashed, cooked in oil, butter, vinegar, boy's urine, or roasted with earth or oyster-shells, to cure a variety of ills. Amongst these are excessive nervousness and hysterical crying in children, women possessed by devils and ogres, malarial fever and deafness. So much are pangolin scales in request for these purposes that yearly the scales from some 4,000 or 5,000 individuals were imported from Java, with a value of 3,700 guilders. But recent regulations in Java, which prohibit capturing and killing of pangolins and the export of scales, will turn the attention of the Chinese medicine men more forcibly towards the native product.

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The pangolin or scaly ant-eater (Manis penta-dactyla dalmanni) is the most primitive of Chinese mammals, and although it is fully protected by law in the colony and island of Hong-Kong, the demand for its carcass makes more extensive protection in South China necessary (Hong Kong Naturalist, July 1937, 79).

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Pangolins are insect-eating mammals covered in tough, overlapping scales.

Meet the Eight Pangolin Species in Africa and Asia:

OvervIEW

Pangolins are uniquely covered in tough, overlapping scales. These mammals eat ants and termites using an extraordinarily long, sticky tongue, and are able to quickly roll themselves up into a tight ball when they feel threatened. Eight different pangolin species can be found across Asia and Africa. Poaching for illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss have made these incredible creatures one of the most threatened groups of mammals in the world.

Taxonomy and Status

There are eight species of pangolins. All pangolins belong to the genus Manis in the family Manidae, which is the only family within the order Pholidota. Although pangolins share similar characteristics with Xenarthrans (anteaters, armadillos, and sloths), they are in fact more closely related to the order Carnivora (cats, dogs, bears, etc.).
Asian pangolins: African pangolins:

Pangolin species vary in size from about 1.6kg (~3.5 lbs) to a maximum of about 33kg (~73 lbs). They vary in color from light to yellowish brown through olive to dark brown. Protective, overlapping scales cover most of their bodies. These scales are made from keratin - the same protein that forms human hair and fingernails. Overlapping like artichoke leaves, the scales grow throughout the life of a pangolin just like hair; scale edges are constantly filed down as pangolins dig burrows and tunnel through the soil in search of termites and ants. Pangolin undersides do not have scales, and are covered with sparse fur. The four Asian pangolins are distinguished from the African species by the presence of bristles which emerge from between the scales.

With small conical heads and jaws lacking teeth, pangolins have amazingly long, muscular, and sticky tongues that are perfect for reaching and lapping up ants and termites in deep cavities. Pangolins have poor vision, so they locate termite and ant nests with their strong sense of smell. A pangolin's tongue is attached near its pelvis and last pair of ribs, and when fully extended can be up to half the length of the animal's head and body. A pangolin's stomach is muscular and has keratinous spines projecting into its interior. Usually containing small stones, the stomach mashes and grinds prey in much the same manner as a bird's gizzard.

Pangolin limbs are stout and well adapted for digging. Each paw has five toes, and their forefeet have three long, curved, claws used to demolish the nests of termites and ants and to dig nesting and sleeping burrows. Pangolins shuffle on all four limbs, balancing on the outer edges of their forefeet and tucking their foreclaws underneath as they walk. They can run surprisingly fast, and will often rise on their hind limbs to sniff the air. Pangolins are also capable swimmers, and while some pangolin species such as the ground pangolin ( Smutsia temmincki) are completely terrestrial, others, such as the black-bellied pangolin ( Phataginus tetradactyla), are adept climbers, using their claws and semi-prehensile tails to grip bark and scale trees.

Four pangolin species occur across Asia: the Indian pangolin, the Chinese pangolin, the Sunda pangolin, and the Palawan pangolin. Four species are found in Africa south of the Sahara Desert: the ground pangolin, the white-bellied pangolin, the giant pangolin, and the black-bellied pangolin.

Pangolins are found in a variety of habitats including tropical and flooded forests, thick brush, cleared and cultivated areas, and savannah grassland; in general they occur where large numbers of food (ants and termites) are found. Asian pangolins in particular are threatened by loss of habitat due to expanding agriculture and other human uses. Pangolins dig deep burrows for sleeping and nesting that contain circular chambers. Large chambers have been discovered in terrestrial pangolin burrows that are big enough for a human to crawl inside and stand up. Some pangolin species such as the Sunda pangolin also sleep in the hollows and forks of trees and logs.

Pangolins live predominantly on a diet of ants and termites, which they may supplement with various other invertebrates including bee larvae, flies, worms, earthworms, and crickets. This specialist diet makes them extremely difficult to maintain in captivity-they often reject unfamiliar insect species or become ill when fed foreign food. Wild pangolins locate insect nests using a well developed sense of smell. Voraciously digging ants and termites from mounds, stumps, and fallen logs with their claws, they use their extremely long sticky tongues to capture and eat them.

Pangolins' insatiable appetite for insects gives them an important role in their ecosystem: pest control. Estimates indicate that one adult pangolin can consume more than 70 million insects annually. Pangolins have special muscles that seal their nostrils and ears shut, protecting them from attacking insects. They also have special muscles in their mouths which prevent ants and termites from escaping after capture.

Pangolins are solitary, most are nocturnal and highly secretive; thus it is difficult for scientists to study them in the wild, and many mysteries remain about their behavior and habits. Some pangolin species such as the Chinese pangolin sleep in underground burrows during the day, and others including black-bellied pangolins and Sunda pangolins are known to sleep in trees. They emerge in the evening to forage for insects. Pangolins are well adapted for digging: they dig burrows with their strong front legs and claws, using their tails and rear legs for support and balance. Tunneling underground, they excavate the sides and roofs of passages by pushing up and from side to side with their tough scaled bodies. They use their front and hind feet to back accumulated soil toward the burrow entrance, and vigorously kick dirt out of the entrance up to a meter or more.

Chinese pangolins in temperate areas spend the winter months in deep burrows. The winter burrows are strategically excavated near termite nests that provide a lasting food source. In Chinese legend pangolins are said to travel all around the world underground, and in the Cantonese language the name for pangolins translates to "the animal that digs through the mountain," or "Chun-shua-cap," which translates to "scaly hill-borer."

While pangolins species share many characteristics and habits, there are also differences. White-bellied pangolins are arboreal tree climbers, while ground pangolins are terrestrial ground dwellers. And some, including all four Asian species, are opportunistic and can be found foraging both in trees and on the ground. Indian pangolins found in Sri Lanka reportedly live in the rainforest canopy where fruit and flowers that attract ants occur, instead of at ground level where it is very dark and the food supply is limited. Some pangolin species even have semi-prehensile tails-they can grasp and hang from branches with their tails, which aids them in climbing.

Pangolin scales provide good defense against predators. When threatened, pangolins can quickly curl into a ball, protecting their defenseless undersides. They also deter predators by hissing and puffing, and lashing their sharp edged tails. Pangolins, dependent on their strong sense of smell, identify their territories by scent marking with urine and secretions from a special gland, and by scattering feces. Scientists suspect that these odors advertise dominance and sexual status, and may also help individuals recognize each other.

Male and female pangolins differ in weight; in most species, males are 10-50 percent heavier than females. Pangolins reach sexual maturity at two years, and most pangolins give birth to a single offspring, though two and three young have been reported in the Asian species. When born, pangolins are about six inches long and weigh about 12 ounces (0.75 lbs). Their scales are soft and pale, and begin to harden by the second day. Pangolin mothers nurture their young in nesting burrows. A mother will protectively roll around her baby when sleeping or if threatened. Babies nurse for three to four months, but can eat termites and ants at one month. Infant pangolins will ride on the base of the mother's tail as she forages for insects.

It is unknown how long pangolins can live in the wild, though pangolins have reportedly lived as long as twenty years in captivity.

Photo credits: Darren Pietersen; Scott Trageser; Sangha Pangolin Project; Tim Wacher; Stuart Nixon; Suzi Eszterhas/www.suzieszterhas.com; Katala Foundation; Gerald Cubitt; Anita Mishra; Elsa Bussiere

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What is a pangolin? Pangolins are insect-eating mammals covered in overlapping scales. Find out what are pangolins?

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The pangolin trade is the illegal poaching, trafficking, and sale of pangolins, parts of pangolins, or pangolin-derived products on the black market. Pangolins are believed to be the world's most trafficked mammal, accounting for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than a million pangolins were poached in the decade prior to 2014.

The animals are trafficked mainly for their scales, which are believed to treat a variety of health conditions in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and as a luxury food in Vietnam and China. In Africa, pangolins are sold as a form of bushmeat, for ritual or spiritual purposes, and use in traditional African medicine. Many times the animal is trafficked just for clothing and fashion.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the international wildlife trade, has placed restrictions on the pangolin market since 1975, and in 2016, it added all eight pangolin species to its Appendix I, reserved for the strictest prohibitions on animals threatened with extinction. They are also listed on the IUCN Red List, all with decreasing populations and designations ranging from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered.

Pangolins are mammals of the order Pholidota, of which there is one extant family, Manidae, with three genera: includes four species in Asia, and Phataginus and each comprise two species in Africa. They are the only mammal known to have a layer of large, protective keratin scales covering their skin. Though sometimes known by the common name "scaly anteater," and formerly considered to be in the same order as anteaters, they are taxonomically distant, grouped with Carnivora under the clade Ferae.

Pangolin behavior varies by species, with some living on the ground, in burrows, and some living in trees. A common predator, big cats, struggle to contend with pangolins' scales when rolled up. But while well-equipped to defend against natural predators, they are easily caught by poachers, who simply pick up the animals when they roll into a ball.

All eight species of pangolin are listed on the IUCN Red List, with designations ranging from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. According to the IUCN and other scientists and activists, the populations of all species are rapidly decreasing.

The pangolin trade is centuries old. An early known example is in 1820, when Francis Rawdon, 1st Marquis of Hastinges and East India Company Governor General in Bengal, presented King George III with a coat and helmet made with the scales of Manis crassicaudata. The gifts are now stored in the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the international wildlife trade, added the eight known species of pangolin to its appendices in 1975. CITES places species it seeks to protect in three appendices organized according to urgency and, correspondingly, the strictness of the regulations. Appendix I includes the strictest prohibitions and is reserved for animals threatened with extinction. In 1975, Smutsia temminckii was placed in Appendix I; Manis crassicaudata, Manis culionensis, Manis javanica, and Manis pentadactyla were placed in Appendix II; Smutsia gigantea, Phataginus tetradactyla, and Phataginus tricuspis were placed in Appendix III. In 1995, Smutsia and Phataginus were moved to Appendix II. Finally, in 2016, at the 17th CITES Conference of Parties in Johannesburg, representatives of 182 countries unanimously enacted a ban on the international trade of all pangolin species by moving them to Appendix I. Though the individual species are listed in Appendix I, the family as a whole (Manidae) is under Appendix II, with the implication that if additional species are discovered, they will be automatically placed in Appendix II.

Despite restrictions on trade in place since 1975, enforcement is not uniformly strong. Most efforts have focused on curbing the supply side of the trade, but demand remains high and there is a thriving black market. Pangolins are believed to be the world's most trafficked mammal, accounting for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade. In 2014, the Worldwatch Institute reported that more pangolins were seized than any other animal in Asia's wildlife black market. Estimates place the number of pangolins poached each year at between 10,000 and 100,000. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that more than a million pangolins were poached in the decade prior to 2014. Most are sent to China and Vietnam, where their meat is prized and scales used for medicinal purposes.

African and Asian nations frequently report on noteworthy confiscations of pangolins and pangolin parts. When a Chinese boat ran into a coral reef in the Philippines in 2013, officials discovered it to be carrying 10 tonnes of frozen pangolins.

During the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic, nucleic acid sequences of viruses taken from pangolins had initially been found to be a 99% match with SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. The virus was believed to have originated in bats, and that pangolins were an intermediate host prior to infecting humans. The illicit Chinese trade of pangolins was suggested as a vector for human transmission. However, pangolins were eventually ruled out as the definitive source of (SARS-CoV-2), after it emerged that the 99% match did not actually refer to the entire genome, but to a specific site known as the receptor-binding domain (RBD). A whole-genome comparison found that the pangolin and human viruses share only up to 92% of their nucleic acid sequence, while at least 99.8% is needed for a conclusive match. Ecologists worried that the early speculation about pangolins being the source may have led to mass slaughters, endangering the animals further.

The black market pangolin trade is primarily active in Asia, particularly in China where the population can be considered as vermin. Demand is particularly high for their scales, but whole animals are also sold either living or dead for the production of other products with purported medicinal properties or for consumption as exotic food.

Pangolins have a thick layer of protective scales made from keratin, the same material that makes up human fingernails and rhinoceros horns. Scales account for about 20% of the animal's weight. When threatened, pangolins curl into a ball, using the scales as armor to defend against predators.

The scales can cost more than $3,000/kg on the black market. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the scales are used for a variety of purposes. The pangolins are boiled to remove the scales, which are dried and roasted, then sold based on claims that they can stimulate lactation, help to drain pus, and relieve skin diseases or palsy. As of 2015, pangolin scales were covered under some health insurance plans in Vietnam.

Pangolin meat is prized as a delicacy in parts of China and Vietnam. In China, the meat is believed to have nutritional value to aid kidney function. In Vietnam, restaurants charge as much as $150 per pound of pangolin meat. At one restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, pangolin is the most expensive item on its menu of exotic wildlife, requiring a deposit and a few hours' notice. Restaurant employees often kill the animal at the table, in front of diners, to show authenticity and freshness.

According to Dan Challender of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's pangolin specialist group, "The fact that it's illegal isn't played down and is even attractive, because it adds this element that you live beyond the law."

The official pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China continues to include Chinese pangolin scales as an ingredient in TCM formulations, and there is a legal market for scales. Today the main uses of pangolin scales are to unblock blood clots, promote blood circulation, and to help lactating women secrete milk. There are many other applications for treating gynecological diseases, and pills that contain powdered pangolin scales are used for treating blockages of the fallopian tubes to cure infertility. TCM researchers and inventors continue to expand the number of applications of pangolin scales: patents continue to be filed for medicinal formulations, and medical journals continue to publish articles extolling health and healing benefits, including the treatment of diseases that are not recognized by Western medicine. Recently added benefits include curing anorexia in children (2002) and adhesive intestinal obstruction (2004).

Though meat and scales are the primary drivers of the intercontinental pangolin trade, there are also other less common parts and uses. Pangolin wine is produced by boiling rice wine with a baby pangolin. It is purported to have various healing properties, such as for treatment of skin disease and improved breathing. Pangolin blood is similarly viewed by some as having medicinal value. Pangolin skins have also been trafficked. In 2015, Uganda reported it had seized two tons of pangolin skins. There is also evidence of live pangolins traded internationally as zoo animals.

Humans hunt, trade, and traffic pangolins in Africa for spiritual purposes, traditional medicine, and consumption as bushmeat. In some areas, poaching of pangolins is protected by either laws or cultural or spiritual taboos. For example, chiefs within the Hurungwe District of Zimbabwe prohibit the killing or trade of Pangolins.

Pangolins are poached by subsistence hunters for direct consumption, sold in local markets, as well as purchased directly from home-working vendors or hunters. A 1988 report found that in Nigeria, the long-tailed ( Phataginus tetradactyla) and white-bellied ( Phataginus tricuspis) species were the second-most expensive bushmeat. However, in some areas, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pangolins are one of the least frequently captured animals for bushmeat (totaling 1.7% of the species recorded in 1987). This was in-part due to their elusive nature as well as social taboos. In Ghana, pangolins are hunted using traps, guns, or dogs, and often traded directly from hunters to roadside restaurants or wholesalers, bypassing markets. There is an indication of elevated hunting during lean farming periods. This, in-part, seems to be due to low labor demands for cocoa farms (a primary agricultural resource in Ghana) in September and October and consequentially higher labor demands in November and December.

Pangolins play a number of roles in traditional African medicine, and a larger number of the animals' parts have a purpose. For example, a study of pangolin use in Kumasi, Ghana, found examples for 13 body parts.

The scales are used by Yorubic medical practitioners in Nigeria to treat, cure, or regulate stomach disorders, gonorrhea, menstrual periods, genital itching or swelling, wounds and cuts, mental illness, stroke, and serve as an antidote for various poisons. The Awori Tribe uses them to treat back pain, mental illness, rheumatism, stomach ulcers, venereal diseases, wounds and cuts, low sexual libido, and as antibiotics. In Ghana, a study in Kumasi found scales used to treat a number of different medical ailments like rheumatism, infertility, convulsions, epilepsy, menstrual pains, stomach disorders, headaches, waist and back pain, stroke, mental illness, skin scars, waterborne illnesses, and leprosy. Research in Lentsweletau, Botswana found scales used for cracked heels, persistent cough, and nose bleeds in humans, and, when burned, the smoke was used to improve the health of cattle. In the Bombali district of Sierra Leone, scales were used for skin disease, impotence, infertility, broken ribs, stomach diseases, inflammation of the naval, athletes foot, nail disorders, healingpremature babies, arthritis, rheumatism, epilepsy, body pain, ear infections, rashes, and scars.

In Yorubic medicine, pangolin bones are used to treat stroke, back pain, and rheumatism, while the Awori also use them to treat mental illness. In Ghana, they have been used for rheumatism, convulsions, headaches, stroke, waist pain, asthma, mental illness, fever, bed-wetting, broken legs, rashes, and breast cancer.

The head of a pangolin is used by the Awori to treat convulsions and remove dizziness. In Ghana, it was found to be used for infertility, stroke, headaches, heart disease, fever, gonorrhea, and body aches. In Sierra Leone, evidence was found of use for infertility, headaches, skin diseases, toothaches, heart disease, paralysis, hernias, claw hand, and as an antidote for poison.

Pangolin oil, collected while smoking an animal over a fire, was used in Sierra Leone for rashes, stretch marks, cracked heels, skin diseases, knee pain, heart disease, and elephantiasis.

In some areas, eating pangolin meat is believed to have medicinal value. For example, in Sierra Leone, it is used to heal premature babies, stomach disorders, rheumatism, epilepsy, high blood pressure, body pain, common childhood diseases, convulsions, and anemia.

In Africa, pangolins are used for a variety of non-medicinal purposes, such as improving finances, improving luck, or protecting against spiritual forces.

Some groups in Nigeria believe the flesh of the pangolin can give the consumer the power of divination, or otherwise bring good luck, safety, or calmness. People looking for business success might use the head and the tip of the tail. The limbs are believed to bring good fortune and money. The scales of a pangolin may be used to give good luck, increase the productivity of a farm, ward off witches and evil forces, have a safe delivery of a child, provide protection, to arrest thieves, and to create amulets. The whole body of a pangolin is used in building rituals, for good fortune, prosperity, warding off sickness, curing infertility in women, granting invisibility, achieving good sales in business, prevent spells or curses, hypnosis, or seduction.

In Ghana, the community in the Kusami area use pangolin scales, bones, head, and meat for non-medical purposes. Pangolins scales are used for spiritual protection, financial rituals, and protection from witchcraft. The bones are used for spiritual protection and protection from witchcraft. The head of a pangolin is used for spiritual protection and financial rituals. The meat of a pangolin is used to create charms for tribal chiefs and pangolin tail is used as a romantic aid.

In the Bombali district of Sierra Leone, scales, meat, blood, intestines, claws, and whole pangolin are part of the pangolin body are used. The scales of the pangolin are used to make one invulnerable to bullets or cuts, to provide protection from witchcraft, and other forms of spiritual protection. The meat of a pangolin is used to increase intelligence of an individual, and the tail of a pangolin is used to prevent against a snake bite and to provide spiritual protection. The blood and claws of a pangolin is used for protection against witchcraft while the intestines of the pangolin are used for good luck.

Governments and non-governmental organizations have undertaken a variety of conservation efforts, with varying activities and degrees of success in different parts of the world. The IUCN's Species Survival Commission formed a Pangolin Specialist Group in 2012, comprising 100 experts from 25 countries, hosted by the Zoological Society of London. It also coordinated an annual awareness day, World Pangolin Day, on February 15, starting in 2014.

Public awareness and support for conservation efforts can be important to their success. According to Annette Olsson, technical advisor at Conservation International, one of the problems the pangolin faces is that, unlike more well-known endangered animals like elephants, rhinoceroses, pandas, or tigers, "It's not huge and not very charismatic. It's small and weird and just disappearing." Legal measures focus on curbing poaching and the supply side of the market, while media attention and public awareness can be crucial to the success to animal conservation efforts by affecting demand. According to CNN's John D. Sutter, "the pangolin needs international celebrity to survive, and the CITES vote is a critical step toward achieving that celebrity." In some part due to lack of attention, pangolin conservation has not been a significant recipient of funding from governments or NGOs.

On 17 February 2017, a day before World Pangolin Day, officials in Cameroon burned 3 tonnes of confiscated pangolin scales, representing up to 10,000 animals. The Cameroonian government had confiscated more than 8 tonnes of pangolin scales since 2013. This conservation strategy is similar to the increasingly common destroying confiscated ivory to deter poaching and generate public outrage or action. As with ivory, there is an opportunity cost to destroying the material, trading awareness via public spectacle for the money which could be gained by reselling what was confiscated.

In Vietnam, one of the countries in which the pangolin trade is most active, activists have access to only two centers able to take care of pangolins, and together they can only keep 50 animals in total. CNN characterized Vietnamese activists as having "vastly inadequate support."

A significant challenge to conservationists is the difficulty pangolins have in captivity. The animals do not adapt well to alternative or artificial foods and suffer stress, depression and malnutrition, leading to significantly shortened lifespans. For these reasons they are rarely found in zoos or visible to the public while alive. For example, as of 2015, the only zoo in the United States to have a pangolin is the San Diego Zoo, and only one because the other died due to digestive problems. Part of the problem, which is also a major cause of the problem, is that without the ability to observe healthy pangolins in captivity, there is still a lot about pangolins humans have not yet been able to learn - variety in their diet, maximum lifespan, maximum size, mating habits, and many aspects of their behavior.

In an episode of the BBC program Natural World, David Attenborough highlighted the Sunda pangolin as one of the 10 species he would like to save from extinction, recalling rescuing "one of the most endearing animals I have ever met" from being eaten while working on a film early in his career.

1. ^ Sutter, John D. (April 2014). "Change the List: The Most Trafficked Mammal You've Never Heard Of". CNN.

2. Cyranoski, David (2020-02-07). "Did pangolins spread the China coronavirus to people?". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-00364-2.

3. ^ Liu, P.; Chen, W.; Chen, J.-P. (2019). "Viral Metagenomics Revealed Sendai Virus and Coronavirus Infection of Malayan Pangolins (Manis javanica)". Viruses. 11: 979.

4. ^ Bryner, Jeanna (March 15, 2020). "1st known case of coronavirus traced back to November in China". LiveScience.

5. Xing, Shuang; Bonebrake, Timothy C.; Cheng, Wenda; et al. (2019). "Meat and medicine: historic and contemporary use in Asia". In Challender, Daniel; Nash, Helen; Waterman, Carly (eds.). Pangolins: Science, Society and Conservation (First ed.). Academic Press. p. 233. ISBN 9780128155073.

6. ^ Sun, S. (2002). "Pangolin scales cure children anorexia". J. Traditional Chin. Med. (in Chinese). 43 (s): 95.

7. ^ Zhao, L. (2004). "Pangolin scales cure adhesive intestinal obstruction". Shandong Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (in Chinese) (23): 758-759.

8. Sutter, John D. (28 September 2016). "This is the week to save the world's most trafficked mammal". CNN.

9. Brautigam, Amie (1994). "Recent Information on the Status and Utilization of African Pangolins" (PDF). Pangolins.org.

10. Reniko, Gondo; Mogomotsi, Patricia K.; Mogomotsi, Goemeone E.J. (2018-01-02). "Integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Natural Resources Management in Hurungwe District, Zimbabwe". International Journal of African Renaissance Studies - Multi-, Inter- and Transdisciplinarity. 13 (1): 96-112. doi:10.1080/18186874.2018.1475869. ISSN 1818-6874.

11. ^ Brautigam, Amie (1994). "Recent Information on the Status and Utilization of African Pangolins" (PDF). Pangolins.org.

12. ^ Milner-Gulland, E. J.; Oppong, James; Rowcliffe, J. Marcus; McNamara, James; Alexander, Justine Shanti (October 2015). "The role of bushmeat in a West African agricultural landscape". Oryx. 49 (4): 643-651. doi:10.1017/S0030605313001294. ISSN 0030-6053.

13. Boakye, Maxwell Kwame; Kotzé, Antoinette; Dalton, Desiré Lee; Jansen, Raymond (2016-04-01). "Unravelling the Pangolin Bushmeat Commodity Chain and the Extent of Trade in Ghana". Human Ecology. 44 (2): 257-264. doi:10.1007/s10745-016-9813-1. ISSN 1572-9915.

14. ^ Boakye, Maxwell Kwame; Pietersen, Darren William; Kotzé, Antoinette; Dalton, Desiré-Lee; Jansen, Raymond; Ai, Jing (20 January 2015). "Knowledge and Uses of African Pangolins as a Source of Traditional Medicine in Ghana". PLOS ONE. 10 (1): e0117199. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1017199B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117199. PMC . PMID 25602281.

15. Boakye, Maxwell Kwame (2018-10-20). "Influence of ethnicity on cultural use of pangolins in Ghana and its implications on their conservation". Ethnobiology and Conservation. 7. ISSN 2238-4782.

16. ^ "Animals and the Law in East, West and Southern Africa", Animals and African Ethics, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, doi:10.1057/9781137504050.0012, ISBN 9781137504050

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The pangolin trade is the illegal poaching, trafficking, and sale of pangolins, parts of pangolins, or pangolin-derived products on the black market. Pangolins are believed to be the world's most trafficked mammal, accounting for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade.

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The pangolin has walked the earth for 80 million years. Described as a living pinecone and an artichoke with legs, it's a toothless scaly animal that looks sort of like a snake mixed with an anteater. It's also one of the most widely traded wild animals in the world. Illegal pangolin trafficking is so common that all eight species of the little-known creature are categorized as "vulnerable," "endangered," or "critically endangered."

This week, Chinese customs executed the largest-ever seizure of pangolin scales, confiscating 3.1 tons of them from smugglers. According to Chinese state media, the scales were hidden in a container arriving from Africa, and registered as timber. Customs officers discovered the scales-from about 7,500 pangolins-in 101 woven plastic bags hidden aboard the ship; they're worth more than $2 million on the black market.

The main suspect in the case confessed that he has been smuggling pangolin scales between Africa and China since 2015. Since the animals are protected in China, smugglers face 10-plus years in prison.

The seizure is one of many. According to estimates from UK researchers and Chinese wildlife enforcement officials, about 10,000 pangolins are smuggled into China from Southeast Asia each year. Prices for pangolins have also increased astronomically: In the 1990s, they were worth about $14 per kilogram. Today it's $600.

Authorities have tried to put a stop to the international pangolin racket. Inter-country trading of the animal was officially banned in September, and the pangolin has been given the highest level of protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Elly Pepper, deputy director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's wildlife trade initiative, said the designation gives "the world's most trafficked mammal a fighting chance at survival."

But enforcement is a different beast. For one, pangolins are usually killed, skinned, and frozen before being traded on the black market. Their skins are hard to differentiate from fish and snakes, which are often mixed with pangolins as cover. In June, 4.4 tons of pangolin scales were seized in Hong Kong, hidden in cargo labeled "sliced plastics" from Cameroon. Last year, a raid at a seafood warehouse in Indonesia yielded over 4,000 pangolins. In 2013, six tons of live pangolins were seized in Vietnam, and over the past five years, 4.7 tons of pangolin scales have been seized in India, where the pangolin is the most traded species. Overall, the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that, since 2012, more than 20,000kg of scales from roughly 30,000 African pangolins bound for Asia have been seized in Africa, Asia, or Europe. And those are only the people that got caught.

But perhaps the most impenetrable part of the pangolin market is the reason for their value. Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam; in southern China, each animal can go for up to $1,000 in restaurants. They are also consumed as bush meat in many parts of Africa. But most of their worth comes from their scales, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure everything from asthma to reproductive problems; even cancer.

Experts aren't sold on the healing power of pangolins, though. "Pangolin scales are made of the same stuff as your fingernails," says Pepper at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Contrary to the beliefs of some, they hold no medicinal value."

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China's insatiable thirst for pangolin scales is fed by an international black market

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The pangolin has walked the earth for 80 million years. Described as a living pinecone and an artichoke with legs, it's a toothless scaly animal that looks sort of like a snake mixed with an anteater. It's also one of the most widely traded wild animals in the world.

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About
Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, and the Chinese pangolin may be the most endangered of them all.

The species is heavily hunted both within China, and its other range states, for its meat, which is considered a delicacy, as well as for its skin and scales which are used in traditional medicine.

In Chinese legend pangolins are said to travel all around the world underground, and in the Cantonese language the name for pangolins translates to "the animal that digs through the mountain," or "Chun-shua-cap," which translates to "scaly hill-borer."

Pangolins have convergently evolved many features that are similar to ant eaters, and aardvarks; such as long, powerful claws for ripping open ant and termite nests, and a long, thin sticky tongue - which can measure up to 40cm in length for scooping up its prey. Like other pangolins, the Chinese pangolin is a good swimmer.

Despite the similarities to other mammals adapted to eating ants and termites, they are not closely related with any of these groups - with the 8 species of pangolin being the only extant members of their family Manidae, and even their order, Pholidota. Chinese pangolins are of genetic interest due to the differing diploid number of chromosomes found in animals from different areas of their distribution.

EDGE Score

Distribution

The Chinese pangolins current range has undergone drastic changes due to poaching pressure, and its distribution is therefore not well known. It was previously widespread, occurring in southern China, Hainan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Himalayan foothills in eastern Nepal, Bhutan and northern India, northeastern Bangladesh, across Myanmar to northern Lao PDR and northern Vietnam, northern and northeastern Thailand.

Habitat and Ecology

They are found in a wide range of habitats, including primary and secondary tropical forests, limestone forests, bamboo forests, grasslands and agricultural fields. They have poor vision, and therefore rely on their sense of smell to locate their prey, which consists exclusively of ants and termites. They are nocturnal, solitary, and like other pangolins, the Chinese pangolin is a good swimmer.

Find out more

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Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, and the Chinese pangolin may be the most endangered of them all. The species is heavily hunted both within China, and its other range states, for its meat, which is considered a delicacy, as well as for its skin and scales which are used in traditional medicine.

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The Chinese pangolin is a scale-covered mammal that resembles an armadillo in appearance and an anteater in behavior, though it is more closely related to bears and cats than anteaters.

Once found in forests and grasslands across southern China, parts of Southeast Asia, and into India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, poaching and trafficking have left the Chinese pangolin critically endangered. Despite protections, in some parts of Asia, including China and Vietnam, pangolin meat is considered a delicacy and its scales are used in traditional medicine, despite no evidence that the scales cure anything.

All of the four Asian species of pangolin are endangered or critically endangered, so poachers are setting their sights on the four African species to fill demand. All of those species are listed as vulnerable.

Like its pangolin relatives, the Chinese pangolin has no defense against humans -not even teeth-and its underside is soft and unprotected. Some poachers use dogs to find pangolins in their burrows and dig them out. When threatened by predators such as big cats, the pangolin quickly rolls into a tight, scale-covered ball.

Chinese pangolins are nocturnal, solitary animals that spend most of their time on the ground, but they are also good climbers. During the day they stay in the burrows they've dug out with their long front claws-often next to ant or termite mounds-or in passageways vacated by termites. The pangolins might also be the reason those passageways are empty: Termites and ants make up 100 percent of the pangolin's diet.

After dark, pangolins head out to feed, finding an ant colony or termite mound that looks tasty. Digging into it with its efficient claws, the pangolin sticks in its snout and laps up the insects with its very long and very sticky tongue, eating thousands of insects in one day. When the ants swarm, the scales protect the pangolin from bites, and the ability to close off its nose and ears, as well as thick eyelids, help it deal with its stinging snack.

Reproduction

Pangolins live alone except when it comes time to mate. Females typically bear a single offspring at a time; Chinese pangolin males, which are much bigger than the females, stay with the family until the baby is weaned. A baby pangolin will ride on its mother's back or tail from about a month old, after its scales harden, nursing and eating ants. Young stay with their mothers for about two years-when they become sexually mature-before heading off to start their own families.

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The Chinese pangolin is a scale-covered mammal that resembles an armadillo in appearance and an anteater in behavior, though it is more closely related to bears and cats than anteaters. Once found in forests and grasslands across southern China, parts of Southeast Asia, and into India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, poaching and trafficking have left the Chinese pangolin critically endangered.

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IUCN Status: Critically Endangered (A2d+3d+4d)

Distribution: Bangladesh; Bhutan; China; Hong Kong; India; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Nepal; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam.

Distinguishing characteristics: The Chinese pangolin is distinguished from other Asian pangolins by its almost helmeted appearance, smaller scales than the Indian pangolin, a larger ear pinna, a post-anal depression in the skin, and a narrowing near the distal end of the tail. While its range overlaps with that of the Sunda pangolin, these species can be distinguished by the number of scale rows across the back, the relative length of the claws on their forelimbs, and by the length and shape of the tail, being shorter and blunter in the Chinese pangolin. The lifestyle between the Sunda pangolin and Chinese pangolin also differs with the former being more arboreal and the latter more fossorial.

Reproduction: Usually only one offspring is born to the Chinese pangolin after a gestation period of between 318 and 372 days. Females reach reproductive maturity towards the end of their first year.

Facts: Chinese pangolins spend the winter months in deep burrows that maintain stable temperatures and are excavated near termite nests, which supply a source of food. In China, the species' distribution is understood to be closely correlated with two termite species ( Coptotermes formosanus and Termes formosanus).
IUCN Red List account

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Chinese pangolin - Pangolin Specialist Group

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IUCN Status: Critically Endangered (A2d+3d+4d) Distribution: Bangladesh; Bhutan; China; Hong Kong; India; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Nepal; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam. Distinguishing characteristics: The Chinese pangolin is distinguished from other Asian pangolins by its almost helmeted appearance, smaller scales than the Indian pangolin, a larger ear pinna, a post-anal depression in the skin, and a narrowing near the distal end of the tail.

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The most trafficked animal in the world is highly prized for its meat and medicinal properties in traditional Chinese medicine.

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IUCN Status: Critically Endangered (A3d+4d)

Distribution: Philippines

Distinguishing characteristics: The Philippine pangolin was only recently described as a species distinct from the Sunda pangolin. It has the greatest number of scale rows across its back of all Asian pangolins. It can be distinguished from the Sunda pangolin by its smaller scales and a shorter head and body to tail length ratio.

Reproduction: Little is known about the reproduction of the Philippine pangolin, though it is understood to be similar to that of the Sunda pangolin, with one offspring born after a gestation period of between 3 and 4 months. It is understood that females reach maturity in their first year.

Facts: The Philippine pangolin is endemic to the Philippines, inhabiting four islands including Palawan and Culion. Little is known about its ecology and biology.
IUCN Red List account

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Philippine pangolin - Pangolin Specialist Group

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IUCN Status: Critically Endangered (A3d+4d) Distribution: Philippines Distinguishing characteristics: The Philippine pangolin was only recently described as a species distinct from the Sunda pangolin . It has the greatest number of scale rows across its back of all Asian pangolins.

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Of the eight extant species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata and Chinese Pangolin M. pentadactyla occur in India. Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered dorsally by 11-13 rows of scales. The adult male is about one-third larger than the female. A terminal scale is also present on the ventral side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin. Its sticky tongue, which is longer than its body, is specially adapted for reaching and lapping up insects in deep crevices. To tear open the anthills or termite mounds, it uses the powerful forelimbs that are armed with three disproportionately long claws. In sharp contrast, the hind legs have tough soles and short, blunt nails on the five toes.

Conservation Issues

Major threats to pangolins in India are hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine) and international trade, for its meat and scales in East and South East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam. There is now greater evidence of its inclusion in illicit international trade, in particular its scales, from both India and Pakistan, with Myanmar and China comprising the most likely, final destinations. Seizure reports from the country suggest that between 2009 and 2013, over 3,000 pangolins were hunted. Media reports state that during the period, approximately 5,000 kg of pangolin scales were confiscated in 25 seizures. Inadequate information on population and distribution further accentuates the threats arising from hunting and poaching.

TRAFFIC and WWF-India Initiatives

TRAFFIC is mapping pangolin trade hubs, conduits, transportation, high poaching areas and drivers in relation to poaching and illegal trafficking of pangolins. In February 2015, TRAFFIC, in partnership with WWF-India and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) launched a social media campaign to create awareness and divert efforts towards curbing illegal trade in pangolins.

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Of the eight extant species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata and Chinese Pangolin M. pentadactyla occur in India. Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered dorsally by 11-13 rows of scales. The adult male is about one-third larger than the female.

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Geographic Range

Indian pangolins (Manis crassicaudata) populations range across southern Asia. Their habitat ranges from the eastern portions of the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, through almost all of India and Bangladesh, to northern Burma and the southern portion of the Yunnan province in China. They live as far south as Sri Lanka and as far north as the southern reaches of Nepal. ("Indian Pangolin | Manis crassicaudata", 2019; Mahmood, et al., 2001; Mohapatra and Panda, 2014)

Habitat

Indian pangolins are well adapted to desert regions and prefer barren, hilly areas. They reside in subtropical thorn forests as well as the Salt Range. Their habitat extends up to 2,500 ft above sea level. Overall, they prefer soil that is soft and semi-sandy - suitable for digging burrows. Indian pangolins have also been shown to survive in various types of tropical forests, open land, grasslands, and in close proximity to villages. They tolerate this range of habitats so long as they have a proper supply of ants, termites, and freshwater nearby. ("Indian Pangolin | Manis crassicaudata", 2019; Mahmood, et al., 2001)

Range elevation

0 to 762 m

0.00 to 2500.00 ft

Physical Description

The total body length of fully grown Indian pangolins ranges from 45 to 147 cm. Their tails can be 33 to 45 cm long. Adult Indian pangolins weigh anywhere from 8 to 17 kg, with the highest recorded weight at 20 kg. Newborns generally weigh around 0.23 kg and measure at 30 to 43 cm in total length. A unique feature of this species is their blonde striated scales, with 11 to 13 rows of 280 to 305 scales covering their dorsal sides and their fore and hind limbs. These scales are composed of keratin and make up 1/4 to 1/3 of the body mass of Indian pangolins. The scales gradually increase in size and decrease in number when moving from the head along the body to the tail. These scales are used as a defense mechanism against predators and harsh environmental conditions. While they do not have any teeth, they do have a long tongue, which they use to capture prey. Their tongues extend an average of 25 cm from their mouths and measure 42.5 cm in total length - around 37% of the body length of an average adult. This is relatively short when compared to other ( Manis species. Males are typically larger and weigh more than females, but this can be highly variable. Each of their four limbs have soft, spongy pads on the palmar sides of their feet with strong claws on each of their digits - five on each limb. Three of these digits are specialized for digging burrows. Irshad, et al., 2016; Roberts, 1997)

Range mass

8 to 20 kg

17.62 to 44.05 lb

Range length

48 to 147 cm

18.90 to 57.87 in

Average length

58 cm

22.83 in

Average basal metabolic rate

6.923 W

AnAge

Reproduction

There is limited information about the mating patterns of Indian pangolins, but it is believed that their mating period is between July and October. Males have been observed to compete with other males over female pangolins. This mating period lasts from 3 to 5 days. During this time, males occupy the same burrow as the females with which they are breeding - this is in contrast to the normal solitary behavior of pangolins. ( Mahmood, et al., 2015)

Female Indian pangolins have five estrous cycles lasting 11 to 26 days each. They have relatively short gestation periods compared to other pangolin species, gestating young for an average of 65 to 70 days, but sometimes upwards of 80 days. Other closely-related ( Manis species have gestation periods of over 100 days. Indian pangolins usually give birth in late November and December. Hua, et al., 2015)

Average number of offspring

1

AnAge

Female Indian pangolins generally stay with their young in the same burrow, with some reports showing that males also remain in the same burrow to help raise young. Indian pangolins breastfeed their young when the offspring are developing. This lasts on average 6 months, after which the offspring are weaned and begin to eat ants and termites. ( Cen, et al., 2010; Hua, et al., 2015)

Lifespan/Longevity

During their juvenile stage, Indian pangolins have soft scales and are thus extremely vulnerable to attacks. Adult females take their young out of the burrow to hunt for food. During these outings, offspring hang onto the tails of their mothers for safety. If a mother feels threatened, she will curl up into a ball, wrapping up her offspring underneath her. During this time, juvenile Indian pangolins grow in size and weight, with the scales on their backs also hardening over time. After around 6 months, juvenile pangolins weigh around 2.5 kg. They are believed to reach sexual maturity after 1 to 2 years.

Little is known about the lifespan of Indian pangolins, mainly due to the widespread act of poaching resulting in early deaths. The specialized diet and foraging habits of Indian pangolins also severely limit their success in captivity. The oldest pangolin kept in captivity lived to be over 19 years old. It is believed that they can live for over 20 years in the wild. ( Hua, et al., 2015; "Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) longevity, ageing, and life history", 2009; Ma, et al., 2018; Mahmood, et al., 2015)

Behavior

Indian pangolins are mostly nocturnal and a majority of their activity occurs during the night. During the day they are most often hiding deep within their den or in a dark corner or tree to rest. While resting, they curl up into a ball with their ventral sides facing down and their limbs tucked under their bodies. During the night, when Indian pangolins are active, they spend their time foraging for food or digging their burrows. They use their forelimbs to dig up dirt and their hind limbs to remove dirt from the dig site. To pursue food they will walk around on the forest floor, walking with their large front claws tucked underneath the soles of their feet. They also climb up trees, using their strong foreclaws to grip the tree and their tails for support when moving up or down.

In order to defend themselves, Indian pangolins will curl into an armored ball with their limbs tucked into the center of the ball. Only the scales of the body and tail are exposed. When in this position they are extremely difficult to attack, as their scales are extremely keratinous. They are very strong so most organisms cannot unravel them from this position. If they are grabbed by the tail, Indian pangolins will rotate in both directions to try to break free. They may also produce bad-smelling secretions from their anal glands to scare off predators. They also give off hissing noises when stressed or attacked.

Indian pangolins, like other pangolin species, are generally solitary and will not share burrows with others of their species. However, during mating there is an exception where they briefly share their burrows with their mate. This continue until shortly after offspring are born, after which males take a much less active role in raising their young. Females continue to take care of their young until they are independent. ( Mohapatra and Panda, 2014)

Communication and Perception

The only sound that Indian pangolins are known to produce is a loud hissing noise. This noise is emitted when they are aggravated by predators, during mating, or during early mother-offspring interactions. They are known to leave scent markers by urinating on trees to mark their territory bounds. ( Mohapatra and Panda, 2014)

Food Habits

Indian pangolins use their keen sense of smell to identify and track prey. They are myrmecophagous, meaning their diet consists mainly of ants and termites, but they will also eat beetles. Indian pangolins consume all life stages of their prey, although they prefer eggs. There has also been evidence of worm skins in the stomach contents of some Indian pangolin specimens, indicating that they occasionally eat worms. They also consume small amounts of plant material as well as sand, clay, and stone, to form gastroliths in their gizzards.

Indian pangolins mainly hunt for food on the ground, but they will also go into trees to pursue arboreal ants. They use their three middle claws on their forelimbs to dig into ant and termite mounds. They dig up dirt and use their hind legs to push out the dirt. This breaks up the ant mounds or the termite combs into small pieces, forcing the insects out. Indian pangolins will then use their sticky tongues to lap up prey - similar to how they drink water. Their saliva is rather adhesive, so the insects they eat stick to their tongues. Because they have no teeth, Indian pangolins grind their food in their gizzards - a portion of their stomachs where food is ground against gastroliths and keratinous spines. ( Mahmood and Hussain, 2013; Mohapatra and Panda, 2014)

insects

terrestrial worms

Predation

Indian pangolins will curl into an armored ball to protect themselves from predators. Their limbs are tucked into their bodies only the scales of their bodies and tails are exposed. When in this position it is extremely hard for other organisms to attack them, as their scales are keratinous. They are very strong, so most organisms cannot unravel them from this position. If they are grabbed by the tail, they will rotate in both directions to break free. They may also excrete a nasty odor from their anal glands to scare off predators. They may also give off a hissing noise when stressed or attacked. There aren't many known predators of Indian pangolins due to this defense mechanism, although tigers and humans are known to eat them. ("Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) longevity, ageing, and life history", 2009; Mohapatra and Panda, 2014)

Ecosystem Roles

Since Indian pangolins are insectivores, they help to keep ant and termite populations in check. Also, since they use their powerful claws to dig up dirt to build their burrows, they break up and aerate soil. ( Mohapatra and Panda, 2014)

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Indian pangolins eat termites, that may destroy infrastructure, and ants that could have negative impacts on agricultural crops (Mohapatra & Panda 2014). Their skins are traded illegally to be used in leather goods such as boots and their scales are used for a wide variety of traditional southeast Asian folk medicines. Their scales are believed to be aphrodisiacs, help treat headaches and colds, and in some cases cure cancer. Their meat is also consumed and is viewed as a delicacy in some cultures. ( Mahmood, et al., 2015; Mohapatra and Panda, 2014)

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known negative economic impacts from Indian pangolins.

Conservation Status

Indian pangolins, as well as all other pangolin species, are considered endangered on the IUCN Red List. They are also considered one of the most trafficked animals in the world due to high demand for their parts. Even though they are protected under international law for conservation, their populations continue to drop as they usually only bear one offspring per year and the destruction of their habitats due to deforestation continues in Pakistan and India. ( Mahmood, et al., 2015)

Contributors

Kevin Clausen (author), Colorado State University, Kate Gloeckner (editor), Colorado State University, Galen Burrell (editor).

Glossary

oriental

found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.

tropical savanna and grassland

A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.

savanna

A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.

temperate grassland

A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.

References

Fact Animal. 2018. "23 Astonishing Pangolin Facts" (On-line). Fact Animal. Accessed March 07, 2019 at https://factanimal.com/pangolins/.

2019. "Indian Pangolin | Manis crassicaudata" (On-line). Edge of Existance. Accessed February 26, 2019 at http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/indian-pangolin/.

2009. "Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) longevity, ageing, and life history" (On-line). Human Ageing Genomic Resources. Accessed March 05, 2019 at http://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Manis_crassicaudata.

Cen, L., L. Xu, H. Xu, Y. Xiang, Z. Xue. 2010. Protection and cultivated technology of pangolin. Asia-Pacific Traditional Medicine, Volume 6: 12-15.

Irshad, N., T. Mahmood, M. Nadeem. 2016. Morpho-anatomical characteristics of Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) from Potohar Plateau, Pakistan. Mammalia, Volume 80, Issue 1: 103-110.

Ma, J., L. Li, H. Jiang, X. Zhang, J. Li, G. Li, J. Chen. 2018. Acidic mammalian chitinase gene is highly expressed in the special oxyntic glands of Manis javanica. FEBS Open Bio, Volume 8: 1247.

Mahmood, J., K. Hussain. 2013. Plant Species Association, Burrow Characteristics and the Diet of the Indian Pangolin. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, Volume 45, Issue 6: 1533-1539.

Roberts, T. 1997. The Mammals of Pakistan. Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press.

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Indian pangolins (Manis crassicaudata) populations range across southern Asia. Their habitat ranges from the eastern portions of the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, through almost all of India and Bangladesh, to northern Burma and the southern portion of the Yunnan province in China.

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This small, arboreal species is fairly widespread and is also the species most frequently encountered , but they are by no means common. The body is covered in numerous small scales, with each scale having three projecting points when new (hence the species name ' tricuspis '). The scales are grey to light brown, and the belly and bare skin is white. Adults are small, averaging 60-105 cm in length, with the tail contributing about half of this length. They have a maximum mass of only 3 kg, although averaging 1-2 kg.

White-bellied pangolins frequently come to ground while foraging or when crossing open patches, but quickly ascend the nearest tree when disturbed. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the  IUCN Red List , with a population that is rapidly declining due to its prevalence in domestic and international trade.

Ecology

This species is most often found in moist tropical lowland forests, but also frequently inhabit secondary forests, forest-savanna mosaics, dense woodlands and sometimes abandoned oil palm stands. They are semi-arboreal and predominantly nocturnal. Male home ranges may be as large as 30 hectares (0.3 km2), while female home ranges average 3-4 hectares (0.03-0.04 km2).

Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive biology of this species. Females give birth to a single pup after a gestation period of about 150 days. The pup is carried on the base of the mother's tail until it is old enough to fend for itself. Some authors believe that reproduction is continuous, although it is more likely that females give birth to single young each year.

Diet

This species is believed to eat exclusively ants and termites, with ants probably constituting the bulk of the diet. No information is available with regards to the specific species eaten. Some authors are of the opinion that terrestrial termites form the bulk of the diet with arboreal termites forming a secondary prey source, although there are still too few observations to verify this. Most of the foraging activity apparently occurs on the ground, and males and young individuals appear to be particularly prone to terrestrial activity and foraging

Range

This species remains widespread in West and Central Africa, marginally entering East Africa and southern Africa.

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This small, arboreal species is fairly widespread and is also the species most frequently encountered , but they are by no means common. The body is covered in numerous small scales, with each scale having three projecting points when new (hence the species name ' tricuspis ').

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Other names: Tree pangolin

IUCN Status: Endangered (A2c+4cd)

Distribution: Angola; Benin; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Nigeria; Rwanda; Sierra Leone; South Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia.

Distinguishing characteristics: Certain physical characteristics separate the arboreal white-bellied pangolin and black-bellied pangolin from Africa's ground pangolins, including smaller size, very small first forelimb claws, larger eyes, irregular arrangement of scales, the presence of tails pads used for climbing, the length of the tail which is prehensile, and the presence of hair on the lower sections of forelimbs, as opposed to scales. While both of the tree dwelling species have long tails, the white-bellied pangolin's is notably shorter.

Reproduction: One young is born after a gestation period of approximately 150 days.

Facts: The white-bellied pangolin is the most frequently encountered pangolin in Africa.
IUCN Red List account

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White-bellied pangolin - Pangolin Specialist Group

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Other names: Tree pangolin IUCN Status: Endangered (A2c+4cd) Distribution: Angola; Benin; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Nigeria; Rwanda; Sierra Leone; South Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia.

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As its name implies, the giant ground pangolin is the largest of the eight pangolin species, stretching more than four feet long. And like all pangolins, Smutsia gigantea is covered in protective scales over much of its body, making it look like a walking pinecone.

The giant pangolin prefers to be near water and live in moist habitats. It's native to the humid forests of West and central Africa, where it spends its days close to its burrow or partially covered in leaves or brush. It is solitary and comes out to feed only at night. It's a terrestrial species, unlike the white-bellied and black-bellied tree pangolins that also live in West and central Africa.

Pangolins don't have many defenses; they don't even have teeth. If a predator like a leopard or a python gets too close, the pangolin rolls into a tight ball. With its tail tucked, scales cover every part of its exposed body, making it a tough nut to crack. The animals also have a stinky, large anal glands to deter predators.

The scales also come in handy when the pangolin snacks on its favorite treat: ants. It takes its long front claws and uses them like a backhoe to pry up rocks and rip into ant colonies (and termite mounds, its other food source). Once it's made an opening, the pangolin sticks its face in it and uses its very long tongue to slurp up the insects. When the ants swarm, the scales protect the pangolin from bites.

Other anti-ant features include a special valve in its nose that closes, no exterior ears, and thick eyelids.

Reproduction

Pangolins live alone except when it comes time to mate. Females typically bear a single offspring at a time and are doting single mothers. A baby pangolin will ride on its mother's back, nursing and eating ants.

Elusiveness hasn't protected giant pangolins from their main predator: humans. Like its pangolin cousins, Smutsia gigantea is hunted for its meat and scales. In fact, pangolins as a group are believed to be the most trafficked mammals in the world. Their scales are especially in demand for traditional Chinese medicine, though there is no scientific evidence they have any medicinal value. Giant pangolin scales, which are easily distinguishable from the scales of other species, are regularly found in overseas seizures of illegal shipments of scales. Giant pangolins also show up at bushmeat markets in range countries.

While scientists don't know how many giant pangolins there are, they're believed to be slightly better off than pangolins in Asia. But as pangolin trafficking shifts from Asia to Africa, their population trend has been downward, and the species is listed on the IUCN's Red List as vulnerable.

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As its name implies, the giant ground pangolin is the largest of the eight pangolin species, stretching more than four feet long. And like all pangolins, Smutsia gigantea is covered in protective scales over much of its body, making it look like a walking pinecone.

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Common pangolin, Cape pangolin, Temminck's pangolin, Scaly anteater, South African pangolin

The Ground pangolin is an unusual animal that is one of a group of eight species that are armor-plated, distinguished from other mammals due to the layer of protective horny scales. It is the second largest and most widespread of the four pangolin species in Africa. Its long, streamlined body, its small, cone-shaped head and the thick tail are all covered with overlapping scales shaped like artichoke leaves, yellow-brown in color and composed of fused hairs. The only unprotected parts of its body are its underside and the inner sides of its limbs. When threatened, this animal can roll itself into an almost impenetrable ball, wrapping its strong tail around its body, leaving only its sharp scales exposed to any predator.

Geography

Mating Habits

Fun Facts for Kids

When looking for food, Ground pangolins often walk on their hind legs.

The other name for the Ground pangolin is Temminck's pangolin, named after Coenraad Jacob Temminck, the Dutch zoologist.

A pangolin is the only mammal that has scales, which make up around 20% of their body weight and are made of keratin, the same substance as human hair and nails, rhino horn and lion claws.

Pangolins eat ants and termites with their long sticky tongues - up to 70 million in a year. They do not have teeth and so they eat small stones to aid their digestion. Pangolins can close their nostrils and ears when they eat, in order to keep insects out.

The Ground pangolin's common name comes from the Malay word 'pengguling', which means 'rolling up'.

Pangolins' main predators include humans, lions, tigers and leopards. However, rolling up into a ball is often enough of a defense against the big cats, as their scales are too hard to bite through, and so these animals do not know what they can do with them.

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About

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Common pangolin, Cape pangolin, Temminck's pangolin, Scaly anteater, South African pangolin The Ground pangolin is an unusual animal that is one of a group of eight species that are armor-plated, distinguished from other mammals due to the layer of protective horny scales. It is the second largest and most widespread of the four pangolin species in Africa.

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T he black-bellied pangolin has large scales which are often a rich ochre colour with dark borders. The skin is black, contrasting with the ochre scales and resulting in this species arguably being the most beautiful pangolin species. This is the smallest (in body size) of the species of African pangolin, with individuals averaging 85-110 cm in length and weighing up to 3.5 kg (although usually weighing 1-2 kg). The tail can measure up to 60 cm long. It is readily identifiable by its small body size and very long tail. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the  IUCN Red List , with a population that is believed to be decreasing.

Ecology

Very little is known about this rare pangolin species. It is virtually entirely arboreal and diurnal - with individuals resting in tree hollows and dense foliage at night - and is probably the most habitat-specific of the four African pangolin species. black-bellied pangolins are often found in tropical riverine and swamp forests usually close to water, but occasionally found in tropical lowland forests away from water. Although almost strictly arboreal it may become semi-aquatic, especially where it occurs alongside the white-bellied pangolin.

Reproduction

Virtually nothing is known of the breeding biology of this species. Females have been recorded giving birth to a single pup after a gestation period of 140 days, and probably give birth to a single pup each year.

Diet

The black-bellied pangolin is believed to be strictly myrmecophagous (ant- and termite-eating), possibly specialising on arboreal ant species. The exact species that it preys on have not been recorded yet.

Range

This species is patchily distributed in Central and West Africa, occurring from Sierra Leone to Ghana, with an apparent gap in its distribution before it reappears in Central Africa, where it occurs from Nigeria to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

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T he black-bellied pangolin has large scales which are often a rich ochre colour with dark borders. The skin is black, contrasting with the ochre scales and resulting in this species arguably being the most beautiful pangolin species.