Spot Them
There are eight species of pangolin. Four of the species are Asian: Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). The other four are African: Black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla), White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), Giant Ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) and Temminck's Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii). Common Pangolins weigh up to about 30-40 pounds and can get into 12 to 39 inches long depending on the species. Their life span is about 20 years.
Diet/Predators
Pangolins are known as the “scaly anteater” because of their diet. They are insectivorous and eat ants, termites, and larvae. Pangolins don’t have teeth, so they use their sticky tongues to pick up insects. Their tongue can be over 40 centimeters when fully extended. Their predators include leopards, hyenas, and humans.
Habitat
Dense forest to forested savannas
Endangered/Population Decline
All eight species of pangolins are only found on two continents. They are all protected under national and international laws. Two of the species are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Pangolins are victims of illegal wildlife crime in Asia and Africa for their meat and scales. They are especially in high demand in China and Vietnam where their meat is considered a delicacy and their scales are used in medicine or remedies to treat ailments including asthma, rheumatism, and arthritis. Pangolin scales can sell for over $3,000. Even though the pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, people continue to participate in massive international illegal trade which has increased recently due to the growing demand.
Fun Facts
The name means “something that rolls up.”
The ground pangolin got its name from the Malay word ‘pengguling’ which means rolling up. This references their behavior of rolling up into a ball when threatened. This practice, however, makes it easier for humans to smuggle them.
Some dig holes and some climb trees.
With their large claws, pangolins can grip on tree branches. The African long-tailed species live in trees, but others dig burrows.
Cats don’t know how to deal with them.
Pangolins’ predators include lions, tigers, and leopards. Rolling up into a ball is enough to outsmart big cats because their keratin scales are too hard for cats to bite through.
Their eyesight is terrible.
Out of eight species, only the long-tailed pangolin is regularly active during the day. The rest are nocturnal and have very small eyes.This means they have
Of the eight species of pangolin only one, the long-tailed pangolin native to west and central Africa is regularly active during the day. The rest are nocturnal and, relative to their body size, have very small eyes. This means they have poor eyesight, instead of locating termite mounds and ant hills with a strong sense of smell and hearing.
Their closest relative is not an anteater.
It has been thought that pangolins are a member of the Xenarthra family, which includes anteaters, sloths, and armadillos. There is new evidence, however, showing that they may have a closer relationship to the Carnivora, containing hyenas, bears, and wolves.
Do you like armadillos? Or maybe anteaters? If you like both, then you are in luck because pangolins resemble both. Some people mistake Pangolins as replies, but they are a mammal full of armor of scales. When alarmed or in danger they will roll into a ball, covering its head with its front legs and using its tail to lash out against predators in the wild.
THE Pangolins
By: Tiffany Lei