PANGOLIN: CHARACTERISTICS, TAXONOMY, FEEDING, REPRODUCTION - BIOLOGY - 2025

The pangolin (Pholidota) is a placental mammalian animal belonging to the order Pholidota, characterized by having a large part of its body covered with superimposed scales, hardened by the presence of keratin. These form plates, which can give it a reptilian appearance.

In Germany the fossil of a pangolin was found, which lived during the Eocene period, between 56 and 34 million years ago, called Eomanis. In the American continent, specifically in North America, another primitive species of this animal was found, which lived in the Oligocene epoch.

By Sandip kumar, from Wikimedia Commons

Their weight can vary according to the species and the place where they develop. Those that feed and sleep in the branches of trees can weigh 2 kilograms, while the giant pangolin, which lives on the ground, could exceed 30 kilograms.

Because the claws on their front legs are long, some pangolins, in order to walk, bend them under their pads. In the hind limbs the claws are not large, so when moving it rests completely on the pads.

Some pangolins may stand on their two hind legs, they may even take a few steps bipedally. Despite their keratinous plaques, they are usually good swimmers.

Endangered specie

The members of this order, long ago, were widely distributed in the world. Currently there are few living species, which inhabit the continents of Africa and Asia. The person responsible for the near extinction of these animals is man, with his indiscriminate and voracious hunting.

The destruction of their natural habitats, environmental pollution and excessive hunting are some of the factors that influence this threatening situation that the pangolin currently suffers.

This species is hunted for its meat, which is considered an exotic dish in southern China and Vietnam. In addition to this, they obtain their scales to be trafficked and commercialized illegally.

There are beliefs, without scientific basis, that attribute to pangolin plates properties to stimulate the production of breast milk and to cure diseases such as cancer and asthma. This has caused a ferocious slaughter of this animal, bringing as a consequence the danger of becoming completely extinct.

General characteristics

Scales

The pangolin's body is physically marked by the large scales that cover most of its body, from the back of the head to the tail. The lower part of the body has no scales, that area is covered with skin and hair.

The scales are coated with keratin, a substance that hardens them. In addition, they are sharp, which provides them with a natural defense against predators. Their colors can vary between dark brown and yellow, although the hue, size, shape and quantity are different between species.

They generally have 18 rows, superimposed on the body. African specimens have them presented in a double row from approximately two-thirds of the distance from the head to the end of the tail.

Glands

Near the anal region are the anal scent glands, which secrete a foul-smelling chemical. This is sprayed by the animal when it is in danger, similar to what the skunk does if it is in the same situation.

Legs

Its legs are short, having the middle finger larger than the rest. The claws are sharp, being those of the front legs larger than the back.

Language

Pangolins have a very long tongue, with a rounded or flattened shape. It is not attached to the hyoid bone, but to the thoracic region, between the sternum and the trachea. Large species can extend it up to 40 centimeters. When the tongue is not extended, it folds into a pocket in her throat.

The pangolin can stick its long tongue into a hole full of ants and then pull it out completely full of insects. These remain attached to it, thanks to the sticky saliva secreted by the huge salivary glands that it has.

Head

The skull is conical in shape, lacking the crests that usually exist in mammals. The bones that form it are thick and dense, offering additional protection to the organs of the nervous system that it houses.

Its head is small, as are its eyes, which have thick lids that protect them. The sense of sight is deficient, with a more developed sense of smell. Depending on the species, the ears could be rudimentary or absent. The jaw is narrow, lacking teeth.

Fur

The areas of the face, throat, abdomen and inner limbs are bare or may have some hair. Asian species, at the base of each scale, usually have three or four hairs, while none of the pangolins that inhabit Africa have them.

Tail

The tail is covered with horny scales, is long, mobile and varies according to the habitat where it lives. In arboreal species, the tail is prehensile, allowing it to grasp the branches to capture an insect. Those found on the ground have it shorter and it is not considered fully prehensile.

This part of its body is used as a defense weapon, against the attack of a predator. In addition, some pangolins use it for support, reinforcing the upright position that they sometimes adopt when walking with their two hind legs.

Taxonomy

Animalia Kingdom.

Edge: Chordata.

Subphylum: Vertebrata.

Class: Mammalia.

Subclass: Theria.

Infraclass: Placentalia.

Magnorden: Ferae.

Superorder: Laurasiatheria.

Order: Pholidota.

Families

Sub-genus Manis (Manis)

The Chinese pangolin, representative of this group, usually lives in northern India and northern Indochina. It is a little aggressive and shy animal. Its scales are of a bronze hue. Its head is small, ending in a pointed snout.

Sub-genus Manis (Paramanis)

One member of this group is the Malayan pangolin, which likes water. Specimens have been observed resting on the bank of a stream or hanging from the branch of a tree, letting themselves fall freely into the water. It is insectivorous, solitary and nocturnal, inhabiting the forests of Southeast Asia.

Sub-genus Manis (Phataginus)

Animals in this group, among which is the white-bellied pangolin, are common in the African jungle. They can roll up their body, extend their scales and perform a moving action of these, back and forth. They have the ability to climb trees, without using the branches to do so.

Sub-genus Manis (Smutsia)

The giant pangolin, a member of this subgenus, is found in the equatorial fringe of the African continent. It is the largest species of pangolin, despite this it can climb trees with ease.

Sub-genus Manis (Uromanis)

One of the species is the long-tailed pangolin, whose tail can measure up to 60 centimeters. Often this animal stands on its two hind legs and shakes itself, with the intention of removing the termites that have gotten under them from its scales.

Feeding

The pangolin's diet is based almost exclusively on insects, mainly ants and termites. It also tends to consume some soft-bodied insects and larvae. Its daily intake is usually between 130 and 210 grams.

Their developed sense of smell helps them find their prey. Because they lack teeth, the pangolin uses the strong claws on its front legs to smash through ant hills or termite mounds, exploring them with its long, sticky tongue.

Tree species, such as the tree pangolin, use their strong tail to hang from tree branches, thus being able to tear off the bark from the trunk and gain access to insect nests.

Digestion

The structure that characterizes the tongue and stomach is crucial in obtaining and digesting food. Thanks to how sticky its saliva is, its tongue can capture the insects it encounters when it sticks its long tongue into caves.

Since the pangolin does not have teeth, it cannot chew its prey either, so when it catches the ants it ingests small stones that accumulate in a part of its stomach, called the gizzard. This, which also has keratin spines, help crush and grind insects, facilitating their digestion.

Reproduction

Pangolins are solitary, meeting almost exclusively to mate. In them there is sexual dimorphism, the males are larger than the females, weighing up to 40% more. The mating season is not well defined, although it is usually during the summer or fall.

The sex organs of the male pangolin are the testes, where sperm are produced, the seminal vesicle and the penis, which is located internally and is only erect in the act of copulation. The female has a uterus, vagina, and ovaries, where female sex cells (ovules) originate.

Sexual maturity is reached around two years of age. During copulation, the male introduces his penis into the female's vagina, producing fertilization internally. Gestation can last between 160 and 200 days.

The species that live in Africa usually have one young per gestation, while the Asian species could have between one and three young at each birth. At birth, the pangolin measures around 150 millimeters, weighing between 80 and 450 grams. Their scales are soft, hardening 2 or 3 days after birth.

Habitat

Pangolins live in diverse habitats in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia. Some of these may be rainy and deciduous forests, grasslands, steppes, scrublands, and hillsides.

There are species that develop in places with specific characteristics, such as the long-tailed pangolin (Manis tetradactyla), the arboreal pangolin (Manis tricuspis) and the giant pangolin (Manis gigantea), which live in areas where there is primarily a natural source. of water.

The arboreal specimens inhabit hollow trees, while the terrestrial ones dig deep underground tunnels. The land pangolin (Manis temmincki) is best adapted to the arid lands of Sudan and Somalia.

The burrows measure around 15-20 centimeters in diameter, several meters deep, ending in a circular chamber up to two meters in circumference. The entrance is usually camouflaged with leaves and dirt.

Pangolins are solitary animals that prefer sandy soils, because they make it easier for them to dig their burrows, using their strong legs and sharp claws. Sometimes they take advantage of those that other animals have left, adjusting them to their conditions, if necessary.

Behavior

Care of the young

The young, although they can walk, are usually carried by the mother, at the base of her tail. Faced with a dangerous situation, they slide under the mother, being protected when she rolls up like a ball.

Sexual

In pangolins, instead of the males going after the females to mate, the males mark their location, urinating and defecating the territory where they are. The females are in charge of finding them, thanks to their developed sense of smell.

If competition arose for the female, the males could fight each other, using their tails to hit each other.

Defending

The scales it possesses provide it with a shell, which it uses as a defense against threats from predators. When they feel in danger, pangolins curl up like a ball, protecting their underside that has no plates, and they can roll away quickly.

They can also whip the attacker with their powerful tail, which is covered with sharp scales. In addition, they could secrete a strong-smelling chemical, and spray it to disperse the predator.

References

1. Word wildlife fund (2018). Pangolin. Recovered from worldwildlife.org.
2. Wikipedia (2018). Pangolin. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.
3. Myers, P (2000). Pholidota. Animal diversity web. Recovered from animaldiversity.org.
4. African wildlifee foundation (2018). Pangoline. Recovered from awf.org.
5. New world encyclopedia (2008). Pangolin. Recovered from newworldencyclopedia.org.
6. Weebly (2018). The tree pangolin resource. Recovered from treepangolinresource.weebly.com.
7. ITIS report (2018). Manis pentadactyla. Recovered from gov.