Pangolins

What’s scaly from tip to tail and can curl into a ball?

Pangolins!

These solitary, primarily nocturnal animals are easily recognized by their full armor of scales. A startled pangolin will cover its head with its front legs, exposing its scales to any potential predator. If touched or grabbed, it will roll up completely into a ball, while the sharp scales on the tail can be used to lash out.

Also called scaly anteaters because of their preferred diet, pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world—with demand primarily in Asia and in growing amounts in Africa—for their meat and scales. There is also demand in the United States for pangolin products, particularly for their leather to be used in boots, bags, and belts.

There are currently eight species of pangolin recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), ranging from vulnerable to critically endangered. However, recent research indicates there could be more pangolin species.

The eight pangolin species are found on two continents and are protected under national and international laws, including being banned from the international commercial trade.

Four species live in Africa: Black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla), White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), Giant Ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea), and Temminck's Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii).

Four species are found in Asia: Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).

In recent years, two new species have been discovered: the Asian mysterious pangolin (Manis mysteria) and the Indo-Burmese pangolin (Manis indoburmanica). More research is needed to understand their genetic and taxonomic differences from other Asian pangolin species.

Since 2020, China has increased protection for the native Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) to the highest level, which closed an important loophole for consumption of the species in-country. Additionally, the government will no longer allow the use of pangolin scales in traditional medicine, a big win given that an estimated 195,000 pangolins were trafficked in 2019 for their scales alone (Challender, et. al, 2020).

China recently removed Guilingji, a traditional medicine containing pangolin ingredients, from its latest pharmacopoeia. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia is the official standard for clinical prescriptions, and the removal of Guilingji reflects the country’s shift away from the use of wildlife in traditional medicine.