Ten Things I Like About Pangolins: Species

Summary: Did you know there is more than one species of pangolin? Kiersten didn't either! Join her to find out how many species of pangolin there are and where they're found.

 

For my hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes.

 

Show Notes:

References for this episode - The Encyclopedia of Mammals edited by Dr. David Macdonald

www.savepangolins.org

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/facts-about-pangolins

treepangolinresource.weebly.com/digestion

bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/grosshue_crai/diet

Pangolin Conservation Organizations: 

Rare and Endangered Species Trust - www.restnamibia.org

Save Vietnam’s Wildlife - www.svw.vn

 

Transcript

(Piano music plays)

Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode podcast about unknown or misunderstood wildlife.

(Piano music stops)

 

Welcome to Ten Things I Like About… This is a podcast about misunderstood or unknown creatures in nature. Some we’ll find right out side our doors and some are continents away but all are fascinating. 

 

My name is Kiersten and I have a Master’s Degree in Animal Behavior and did my thesis on the breeding behavior of the Tri-colored bat. I was a zookeeper for many years and have worked with all sorts of animals from Aba Aba fish to tigers to ravens to domesticated dogs and so many more in between. Many of those years were spent in education programs and the most important lesson I learned was that the more information someone has about a particular animal the less they fear them. The less they fear them the more they crave information about them and before you know it you’ve become an advocate for that misunderstood animal.

 

This podcast continues pangolins!  The third thing I like about pangolins is that there are eight different species, four African species and four Asian species. Let’s start off with the four Asian species:

 

Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) - The Chinese pangolin is native to southern Nepal, northern India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, northern Indochina, southern China, and most of Taiwan. This species of pangolin is 18 to 24 inches long including the head and body. The tail adds an additional 10-15 inches, almost half the length of the body. They have 18 rows of tightly overlapping scales with spare hairs sticking out in-between the scales. The Chinese pangolin has a lovely mix of light and dark brown coloration giving them a bronze color. This species is mainly terrestrial and digs deep holes in search of ants and termites. Due to illegal hunting for food, use of its scales in traditional Chinese medicine, and habitat loss, the Chinese pangolin is critically endangered 

 

Sunda or Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) - The Sunda pangolin is found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is the most widely spread species in Southeast Asia. It’s scales are predominately dark brown in color with some individuals having white scales on the tail. This pangolin is a bit larger than the Chinese pangolin ranging from 16 to 26 inches from nose to the base of the tail with the tail ranging from 14-22 inches long. It is also much more arboreal that the Chinese pangolin and therefore can often be seen in trees searching for ants to eat. The Sunda pangolin is also critically endangered due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine and habitat loss.

 

Palawan or Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) -  This pangolin is found specifically in the Province of Palawan including the various islands found in this region. They are mainly nocturnal and solitary. They are most often found in trees but can be seen on the ground foraging for ants and termites to eat. When sleeping they prefer hiding in hollow trees. Their scales come in brown, yellow, or olive typically giving them a tan appearance. They range in size from 1 to 3 feet in length, their tail being at least half this length. Like other asian pangolins they are covered in scales but also have course hair covering some portions of their body such as the belly. The Philippine pangolin is also critically endangered due to illegal poaching for meat, scale, and skin trade and also due to habitat loss. They are especially susceptible to population decline due to habitat loss since they are only found in a small region.

 

Indian or Thick-tailed pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) - The Thick-tailed pangolin is found in Pakistan through almost all of India and Bangladesh to northern Burma to the southern portion of the Yunnan province of China. They live as far south as Sri Lanka and as far north as the southern reaches of Nepal. This species is adapted to desert regions and can often be found in barren, hilly areas but they can be found in subtropical forests as well. They gravitate to habitat with soft, semi-sandy soil in which it is easy to dig for ants and termites and suitable fro digging burrows. They range in size from 18 to 58 inches in length with tails that are 13-18 inches long. Their scales are unique in comparison to the other asian species because they have blonde striations that are not present in other Asian pangolins. The Thick-tailed pangolin is nocturnal and mostly terrestrial, although they can be seen forging for ants in trees. They are solitary in nature. This species is classified as Endangered for the same reasons as the other Asian species of pangolin.  

 

African species:

Tree or White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) - The Tree pangolin is the first of four African pangolins. They are found throughout Central Africa from Senegal to Kenya in the east and northern Angola in the south. Based on the name you can guess where they are often found, in trees. They favor primary tropical forests and mosaic forests. Even though they spend most of their time in trees that can walk comfortably on the ground. Their scales are unique in the fact that they end in three cusps. Scale color can range from dark brown to russet to yellow-brown. This is a small pangolin ranging in size from 12-18 inches in body with a tail ranging from 19-24 inches. Unlike the Asian pangolins, the Tree pangolin is diurnal. They roam the trees looking for ants and termites to ingest. Due to over hunting by humans the Tree pangolin is classified as endangered. 

 

Giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) - The Giant pangolin is found in the western to central regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. They are found in forests and savannas and are completely terrestrial. They dig burrows or use abandoned burrows as shelter. They are the largest and heaviest of all the pangolins weighing 66 to 77 pounds with an overall body length of 60 inches, including the tail. Unlike other species the tail is proportionally shorter than the body. Their scales are a gray-brown and are approximately 5-6 inches. Whether they are strictly nocturnal seems to a bit of a debate. They seem to be mainly nocturnal, researchers have recorded their most active times being between 12am to 5am. The Giant pangolin is classified as Endangered. It is poached for it’s scales and meat just as other pangolins.

 

Cape or Temminck’s Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) - The Cape Pangolin is the most widespread pangolin in Africa ranging from northern and southern South Africa, north to Angola and east into East Africa and southern Sudan and Chad.They are the second largest pangolin after the Giant pangolin. Cape pangolins can be around 48 inches long including the tail and weigh from 15-22 pounds. Their scales end in three cusps like the smaller white-bellied pangolin and are a grayish-brown. Cape pangolins are strictly terrestrial and are often nocturnal but in cooler climates can be found foraging during the day. Ants and termites are once again their chosen food with an emphasis on ants.  

 

Long-tailed or Black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) - The Black-bellied pangolin is out last species of pangolin. It’s range is patchy, occurring in West Africa from Sierra Leone to Ghana  and then in Central Africa from Nigeria to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It seems to be the most habitat specific of all the African species being found in tropical riverine and swamp forests usually near water. It is also the smallest of the African pangolins in body size but has one of the longest tails. Size ranges from 33-34 inches with a tail that can measure 24 inches. The tail is longer than the body. Their coloration is extremely unique with ochre colored scales and black skin. It is the most strikingly colored pangolin species. It is almost entirely arboreal where its semi-prehensile tail helps keep it balanced. It forages in trees for arboreal ants. The black-bellied pangolin is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN.

 

These eight amazing species of pangolins are my third favorite thing about pangolins.

 

Please visit savepangolins.org to find out even more about pangolins and discover what you can do to save this unique animal. To help the African Cape Pangolin visit the Rare and Endangered Species Trust at restnamibia.org and to learn more about Asian pangolins and help the Sunda and Chinese pangolin visit Save Vietnam’s Wildlife at svw.vn. 

 

Join me next week for another ten minute podcast focusing on another thing I like about pangolins. 

 

(Piano Music Plays)

This has been an episode of Ten Things I like About with Kiersten and Company. Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp, piano extraordinaire.