Pholidota, from Greek φολῐ́ς (pholís, “scales”), means “clad in scales”, in reference to the fact that these animals have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin.

Common names of members

Pangolins.

Distribution 

Sub-saharan Africa and South, Southeast and East Asia.

Size

They have a small-medium size, from 30 cm to 99 cm length.

Morphology

They have a long tail which is about the same length as their body, short legs with strong claws to dig burrows and destroy termite chambers. They are covered in scales made from keratin, the same material that human hair and fingernails are composed of. Toothless, they have a tongue longer than its body length which is connected to the bottom of its ribcage. This super long tongue is used for sticking ants and termites out of the chamber.

Ecology & Habitat

Sandy habitats, such as shrublands and savannahs, but also rainforests and swamps (since there are arboreal species). Rests in underground burrows.

Diet

They are insectivorous. Most of their diet consists of various species of ants and termites, and may be supplemented by other insects, especially larvae. They are somewhat particular and tend to consume only one or two species of insects, even when many species are available to them.

Reproduction 

Adults live individually and only meet during the mating period which is usually in summer or autumn each year. Females give birth to one offspring each year. Newborn babies’ scales are pink and soft. After one day, the scales will start to harden. Mothers protect the baby by hiding the baby near her belly then roll herself up to a ball.

Total species known

8

Species in the collection

1

Species in Hong Kong

1

References

Spearman, R. I. C. (1967). On the nature of the horny scales of the pangolin. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 46(310), 267–273, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1967.tb00508.x.

Ma, J., Li, L., Jiang, H., Zhang, X., Li, J., Li, G., Yuan, L., Wu, J., Chen, J. (2017). Transcriptomic analysis identifies genes and pathways related to myrmecophagy in the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica). PeerJ, 5: e4140. https://doi.org/10.7717%2Fpeerj.4140.

Katuwal, H. B., Sharma, H. P., Parajuli, K. (2017). Anthropogenic impacts on the occurrence of the critically endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) in Nepal. Journal of Mammalogy, 98(6), 1667–1673, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyx114.

Sabin, K. C., Regmi, S., Pant, B., Nepali, A., Katuwal, H. B., Sharma, H. P. (2024). Factors influencing Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) burrow selection in the Chandragiri-Champadevi hills of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Heliyon, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25774. 

Gray, R. J., Le, D. V., Nguyen, H. T. T., Cau, L. N., Nguyen, T. V., Pham, T. V., Willcox, D., Chen, T., Nguyen, T. V. (2023). Home ranges and activity patterns of Sunda pangolins Manis javanica (Pholidota: Manidae) in Vietnam. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 16(3), 421-431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2023.05.005. 

Moufao, A. D. T., Tédonzong, L. R. D., Ingram, D. J., Binda, V. A., Nfor-Ngwayi, I. C., Mayaka, T. B. (2023). Maximum entropy modeling of giant pangolin Smutsia gigantea (Illiger, 1815) habitat suitability in a protected forest-savannah transition area of central Cameroon. Global Ecology and Conservation, 43, e02395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02395.

Gudehus, M. (2020). Chapter 8 - Black-bellied pangolin Phataginus tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1766). In. D. W. S. Challender, H. C. Nash, C. Waterman (Ed.), Pangolins - Science, Society and Conservation (pp. 123-138). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815507-3.00008-3.

Hua, L., Gong, S., Wang, F., Li, W., Ge, Y., Li, X., Hou, F. (2015). Captive breeding of pangolins: current status, problems and future prospects. Zookeys, 507, 99–114. https://doi.org/10.3897%2Fzookeys.507.6970.