The SIXTH annual
World Pangolin Day is celebrated today, on the 18th of February. The
first World Pangolin Day was celebrated in February 2012. This day is dedicated
to the armor-clad mammals, resembling giant pine cones. World Pangolin Day
provides the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about these unique yet
vulnerable mammals as well as put the spotlight on their plight. The aim of
this particularly important day is to draw as much attention to pangolins as
possible because they’re still fairly unknown outside of Asia and Africa. Unfortunately,
Pangolins are one of the most heavily trafficked mammals in the illegal
wildlife trade. Their numbers are quickly declining in both Asia and Africa due
to poaching and illegal hunting. However, there is some good news! Fortunately,
at the most recent Conference of the Parties to CITES, held in South Africa
during September 2016, all eight pangolin species were upgraded from Appendix
II to Appendix I. Consequently, all pangolin species will receive the strictest
global protections from trade.
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| Source: Arkive |
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| Source:What Species |
Worldwide, there
are eight species ranging from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered.
Four pangolin
species occur in Asia:
Indian Pangolin
(also called Thick-tailed Pangolin), Manis
crassicaudata
Phillipine
Pangolin, Manis culionensis
Sunda Pangolin
(also called Malayan Pangolin), Manis
javanica
Chinese
Pangolin, Manis pentadactyla
Four pangolin
species occur in Africa:
Three-Cusped
Pangolin (also called African White-Bellied Pangolin and Tree Pangolin), Manis tricuspis
Giant Ground
Pangolin, Manis gigantea
Cape Pangolin
(also called Temminck’s Pangolin), Manis
temminckii
Long-Tailed
Pangolin (also called Black-Bellied Pangolin), Manis tetradactyla
According to the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), almost no
information is available on population levels of any species of pangolin. They
are rarely observed as a result of their secretive, solitary, and nocturnal
habits, and there has been little research on their population densities.
Here are
powerfully interesting pangolin facts:
·
Their name, “pangolin”, is derived
from the Malay word “pengguling”, which loosely translates to “something that
rolls up”. Together, the eight species comprise their very own Order:
Pholidota.
·
Otherwise known as scaly anteaters.
·
They’re unique creatures that are
covered in hard, plate-like scales, comprised of keratin.
·
Their scales cover their whole body
from head to tip of tail — except for their undersides (it’s covered with a few
sparse hairs).
·
Pangolins are insectivorous
(feeding on insects) and predate almost exclusively on ants and termites.
·
They voluntarily constrict their
ears and nostrils to keep insects out while they’re feeding.
·
They are the only scaled mammal.
·
They are predominantly nocturnal
and elusive, secretive mammals.
·
To protect themselves, they curl
into balls like hedgehogs.
·
Due to variation in their size and
the size of their scales, each species of pangolin has a different range in
terms of the number of scales.
·
Giant ground pangolins are the
largest of all eight species - one was found to weigh 33 kilograms (72.6 pounds).
·
Long-tailed pangolins are the
smallest, weighing around 2-3 kg (about 4-6 pounds).
·
A pangolin’s tongue can be longer
than its body when fully extended is can be 40 cm long!
·
They do not have teeth and are
unable to chew. Instead, they have long sticky tongues that they use to catch
the insects they feed on.
·
They have large, curved claws that
they use for pulling bark off trees and logs to find their insect prey.
·
Their large and elongated claws
enable them to burrow underground for shelter and to excavate ant and termite
nests for food, mixing and aerating the soil, improving nutrient quality of the
soil and aids the decomposition cycle, providing a healthy substrate for lush
vegetation to grow from.
·
They reach sexual maturity after
two years, and typically only give birth to a single young.
·
Their gestation period is thought
to last between 69–150 days, varying by species.
·
When born, the babies weigh around
8-450 grams (about 3-16 ounces), depending on the species, and have soft scales
that harden fairly rapidly.
·
Young are usually weaned at around
three months of age.
·
Baby pangolins travel around with
their mothers by riding on the base of her tail.
·
The scales of these critters
comprise about 20% of their total body weight.
·
When pangolins feel threatened,
they curl up into a tight, almost impenetrable ball to protect their tender
undersides. If caught, they will thrash about using their tail muscles. Because
their scales have very sharp edges, they can slice the skin of a human or
predator when they do this.
·
Pangolins have poor vision and
hearing, but their sense of smell is quite strong.
·
Some species find shelter in trees,
while others live in underground burrows.
So show your
support for these under-appreciated animals today!
References
This year’s theme (“Big cats: predators under threat”) involves precious
big cats (they not only include lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars (the four
largest wild cats that can roar), but also cheetahs, snow leopards, pumas,
clouded leopards, etc.), placing the spotlight on their protection. Lions,
tigers, leopards, and jaguars are majestic animals, symbolizing power and
courage. These cats are widely recognizable, admirable, and charismatic. Big
cat species are primarily found in Africa, Asia, and North, Central and South
America. Sadly, though, they face various and unprecedented threats (primarily
caused by human activities) to their survival in the wild, and globally too. Their
populations are rapidly declining due to loss of habitat and prey, conflicts
with people, poaching, and illegal trade.
