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Pangolins
Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: ''Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smutsia''. ''Manis'' comprises four species found in Asia, while ''Phataginus'' and ''Smutsia'' include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa. These species range in size from . Several extinct pangolin species are also known. In September 2023, nine species were reported. Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales, similar in material to fingernails and toenails, covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature. Depending on the species, they live in hollow trees or burrows. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring, which they raise for about two years. Pangolins superficially resemble ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pangolin Trade
The pangolin trade is the illegal poaching, wildlife smuggling, 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 Wildlife trade, 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 Scale (anatomy), 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 CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the international wildlife trade, has pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manis Javanica
The Sunda pangolin (''Manis javanica''), also known as the Malayan or Javan pangolin, is a species of pangolin. It is a member of the Manidae family. Its English name comes from the Malay name "pëngulin", which means "roller". It is native to Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the islands of Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Lesser Sunda Islands. It prefers forested primary, secondary and scrub forest habitats, but also lives in rubber and palm oil plantations. It is largely arboreal. Taxonomy In the past, this species has included the closely related Palawan pangolin (''M. culionensis''), as both are in the subgenus ''Paramanis''. It is closely related to the Chinese pangolin, although the Malayan species is larger, lighter in colour, and has shorter fore claws. Phylogeography During the Pilo-Pleistocene, something that has shaped its phylogeographic patterns is the experience of the pangolin geographically and its clim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manis Culionensis
The Philippine pangolin or Palawan pangolin (''Manis culionensis''), also locally known as ''balintong'', is a pangolin species endemic to the Palawan province of the Philippines. Its habitat includes primary and secondary forests, as well as surrounding grasslands. This species is moderately common within its limited range, but is at risk due to heavy hunting because of its valued scales and meat. This species is distinguished from the closely related Sunda pangolin by its smaller body-to-tail ratio, smaller scales, and a shorter head. It is listed as ''Critically Endangered'' by the IUCN, and ''Critically Endangered'' by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD). Taxonomy The species was first described by Casto de Elera in 1915; it was also mentioned by de Elera in an 1895 work. In the past, this species has been included with the Sunda pangolin, ''Manis javanica'', but has been considered a distinct species since 1998. Five distinct morphological characteristics ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manidae
Manidae (" spirits") is the only extant family of pangolins. This family comprises three genera ('' Manis'' from subfamily Maninae, '' Phataginus'' from subfamily Phatagininae, and '' Smutsia'' from subfamily Smutsiinae), as well as the extinct Fayum pangolin. Classification and phylogeny History of classification All species of living pangolin had been assigned to the genus ''Manis'' until the late 2000s, when research prompted the splitting of extant pangolins into three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smutsia''. Taxonomy * Family: Manidae (pangolins) ** Subfamily: Maninae (Gray, 1821) (Asian pangolins) *** Genus: '' Manis'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (Asian pangolin) **** (unranked): northern Asian clade ***** '' Manis pentadactyla'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chinese pangolin) ***** †'' Manis hungarica'' (Kormos, 1934) **** (unranked): southern Asian clade ***** '' Manis crassicaudata'' (Gray, 1827) (Indian pangolin) ***** ''Manis'' sp. (''Scale_H4'' & ''Scale_H8'')Jingyan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phataginus Tricuspis
The white-bellied pangolin (''Phataginus tricuspis'') is one of eight extant species of pangolins ("scaly anteaters"), and is native to equatorial Africa. Also known as the tree pangolin or three-cusped pangolin, it is the most common of the African forest pangolins. Description ''Phataginus tricuspis'' is a relatively small pangolin. The combined head and body length is . The tail is . Each dark brown to brownish yellow scale has three points, to which the specific name ''tricuspis'' refers. (The Greek meaning of Phataginus tricuspis is "number by order"),These scales cover the whole body besides the face, underbelly, and insides of the legs. The scales are made of keratin, as are human fingernails, and are anchored at the base to the pangolin's skin. The head is small, and the snout is elongated. The feet are short, and each foot has five long curved claws. Taxonomy The white-bellied pangolin had belonged to the genus ''Manis'' and subgenus '' Phataginus'' before the latter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manis Pentadactyla
The Chinese pangolin (''Manis pentadactyla'') is a pangolin native to the northern Indian subcontinent, northern parts of Southeast Asia and southern China. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2014, as the wild population is estimated to have declined by more than 80% in three pangolin generations, equal to 21 years. It is threatened by poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Characteristics The Chinese pangolin has the appearance of a scaly anteater. Its scales are typically grayish blue. Its head and body measure about and its tail measures about . A mature Chinese pangolin weighs from . It has 18 rows of overlapping scales accompanied by hair, a rare combination in mammals. It has a small, narrow mouth and a little, pointed head. Its claws grow in as it grows older. The female gives birth to a single offspring at a time. A newborn pangolin weighs about , its length is about . The Chinese pangolin reproduces in April and May when the we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Pangolin
The Indian pangolin (''Manis crassicaudata''), also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater, is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping Scale (zoology), scales on its body which act as Armour (zoology), armour. The colour of its scales varies depending on the colour of the earth in its surroundings. It can also curl itself into a ball as self-defence against predators such as the tiger. It is an insectivore feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day. It is not common anywhere in its range, and is threatened by hunting for its meat and various body parts used in traditional medicine. Characteristics The Indian pangolin is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is about long from head to tail, the tail usually being long, and weighs . Females are generally smaller th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smutsia
African ground pangolin (''Smutsia'' - " Smuts's animal") is a genus of pangolins from subfamily Smutsiinae within family Manidae. It was formerly considered a subgenus of genus ''Manis''. Its members are the more terrestrial of the African pangolins. In past, this genus was also present in Europe. Description The Smutsia species can be easily distinguished due to a layer of protective horny scales covering their long streamlined bodies, small cone-shaped heads, and thick tails. Resembling artichoke leaves, the scales are composed of fused hairs. When threatened, members of the species roll into an impenetrable ball, leaving the sharp, yellow-brown scales exposed to the predator. Diet and nutrition Ground pangolins are carnivorous animals which mainly eat termites and ants, though larvae and other soft-bodied insects are also consumed on occasion. Mating life Ground pangolins reach sexual maturity at around 5–7 years of age. The species is described as polygynous: one mal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mammals
A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. These characteristics distinguish them from reptiles and birds, from which their ancestors diverged in the Carboniferous Period over 300 million years ago. Around 6,640 extant species of mammals have been described and divided into 27 orders. The study of mammals is called mammalogy. The largest orders of mammals, by number of species, are the rodents, bats, and eulipotyphlans (including hedgehogs, moles and shrews). The next three are the primates (including humans, monkeys and lemurs), the even-toed ungulates (including pigs, camels, and whales), and the Carnivora (including cats, dogs, and seals). Mammals are the only living members of Synapsida; this clade, together with Sauropsida (reptiles and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phataginus
African tree pangolin (''Phataginus'') is a genus of African pangolins from subfamily small African pangolins (Phatagininae), within family Manidae. Its members are the more arboreal of the African pangolins. From 2010 to 2019, at least 895,000 pangolins from the genus ''Phataginus'' were illegally trafficked. The animal is hunted and poached for its scales and meat, and is often used in making traditional medicine in places such as China and Vietnam. Attempts to protect these mammals from trafficking and extinction are ongoing; unfortunately their slow reproduction rate stymies population recovery. Currently the tree pangolin is listed as vulnerable. All pangolin species have been listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Etymology Constantine Rafinesque (1821) formed the Neo-Latin generic name ''Phataginus'' from the French term ''phatagin'', adopted by Count Buffon (1763) after the reported local name ''phatagin'' or ''phatagen'' used in the East Indies. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manis
''Manis'' (" spirit") is a genus of South Asian and East Asian pangolins, the Asiatic pangolins, from subfamily Maninae, within family Manidae. Taxonomy * Subfamily: Maninae (Asiatic pangolins) ** Genus: ''Manis'' (Asiatic pangolins) *** '' Manis crassicaudata'' (Indian pangolin) *** '' Manis pentadactyla'' (Chinese pangolin) *** ''Manis aurita ''Manis aurita'', the Indo-Burmese pangolin, is a pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smut ...'' (= ''Manis indoburmanica'')Wangmo, L. K., Ghosh, A., Dolker, S., Joshi, B. D., Sharma, L. K., & Thakur, M. (2025)Indo-Burmese pangolin (''Manis indoburmanica''): a novel phylogenetic species of pangolin evolved in Asia.Mammalian Biology, 1-8. *** '' Manis mysteria'' (Cryptic pangolin)https://www.sci.news/biology/manis-mysteria-12316.html *** †'' Manis hungarica'' *** †'' Manis lydekk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wildlife Smuggling
Wildlife smuggling or wildlife trafficking concerns the illegal gathering and trade of endangered species and protected wildlife, including plants and byproducts or products utilizing a species. Research on wildlife smuggling has increased, however, knowledge of the illicit trade remains limited. The differences between international policies and tendencies likely contribute to the extensive estimated range of wildlife smuggling, anywhere from $5-$23 billion, with an additional $67-$193 billion when timber and fish are included. The prolific growth of wildlife smuggling makes it the fourth-largest criminal enterprise globally after drug, firearm, and human trafficking. Products demanded by the trade include but are not limited to ivory, bushmeat, traditional medicine, and exotic pets. China and the United States are the largest buyers in the illegal wildlife trade. It often involves other illegal activities such as tranquilizing animals without proper authorization. Culture In many ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
