Chinese pangolin

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Chinese pangolin
Leipzig Zoo - Tou Feng.jpg

Chinese pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla )

Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Pholidota
Family : Pangolins (Manidae)
Subfamily : Maninae
Genre : Manis
Type : Chinese pangolin
Scientific name
Manis pentadactyla
Linnaeus , 1758

The Chinese pangolin or ears pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla ), and occasionally China Pangolin , is a mammal of the family of pangolins (Manidae). It lives in southern East Asia, as well as in Southeast Asia and the northern lowland areas of South Asia . The animals are nocturnal and solitary. They mostly inhabit different types of forest and move on the ground where they create earthworks. However, they can also climb well. Their diet consists largely of state-building insectsthat are selectively selected. The hidden way of life of the pangolin means that little information is available about the exact way of life. The Chinese pangolin is heavily hunted due to its meat and scales, and its population is also endangered by the spread of human settlements. It is therefore considered critically endangered. The species was first described in 1758.

features

Habitus

Chinese pangolin

As a medium-sized representative of the pangolins, the Chinese pangolin reaches a head-trunk length of 40 to 58 cm, plus a 25 to 38 cm long tail. The weight varies from 2.5 to 7.0 kg. Males, with an average total length of 75 cm and a mean weight of 4.5 kg, are usually larger than females, who have mean values ​​of 69 cm and 3.5 kg. As with all pangolins, the top of the head, the back and the flanks, the outside of the limbs and the tail are covered with horn scales. The scales are uniformly dark brown to dark gray in color in adult animals, but there are also occasional yellowish scales, so that the animals then have a two-tone appearance. The scales are arranged on the body in 15 to 17, sometimes 18 transverse rows, their size hardly increasing towards the back, their diameter is 2 to 5 cm. A row of scales runs along the center line of the back to the tip of the tail, the lower end of the tail shows a small free area of ​​skin. Occasional hairs that are thin and light-colored grow between the scales. The hair is also only sparsely distributed on the unscaled parts of the body. The skin visible there is white to yellow-gray, only on the nose there are sometimes darker shades. The head is pear-shaped with a relatively short snout. The eyes are small and have a dark iris . The ears, which are larger than those of the other Asian pangolin species and can reach 1 to 3 cm in length, stand out conspicuously. The tongue is up to 40 cm long and can be stuck out 10 to 15 cm from the mouth, its diameter is about 1 cm. The front legs are slightly longer than the back legs. The front and rear feet each have five claws, the middle claw on the hands forms a large grave claw up to 6.6 cm in length. The corresponding claw of the rear foot is comparatively shorter and is a maximum of 2.5 cm long. The rear foot length varies from 6.5 to 8.5 cm.

Skull and skeletal features

Chinese pangolin skeleton

The skull measures 3 to 4 inches in length. It is simply built, the nasal and frontal bones are relatively long, the latter larger than the parietal bones . As a noticeable feature on the pangolin skull, the zygomatic arch is not closed. However, individuals with a complete zygomatic arch are also known in the Chinese pangolin. The spine comprises 7 cervical, 16 thoracic, 6 lumbar, 3 sacrum and 27 to 28 tail vertebrae, making a total of 59 to 60 vertebrae.

distribution and habitat

Distribution area (green) of the Chinese pangolin

The Chinese pangolin is from the foot of the Himalayas in eastern Nepal and northeastern India over the northern Southeast Asia ( Myanmar , Thailand and the northern parts of Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam ) to the central and southern areas of the People's Republic of China south of the Yangtze River spreads further it is also found in Taiwan and Hainan . The habitat is diverse and ranges from primary tropical rainforests to secondary forests , deciduous and coniferous forests to bamboo forests as well as bushes and grasslands. The pangolin also occurs in human-influenced areas such as agricultural land, but it avoids human settlement areas. Dense underground vegetation is usually required for their occurrence. In the area of ​​the Himalayas the Chinese pangolin has been recorded up to heights of 1500 m, in Taiwan up to 2000 m. In Southeast Asia the distribution area overlaps with that of the Malay pangolin ( Manis javanica ), here the Chinese pangolin is often limited to higher mountain ranges from about 600 to 800 m.

Way of life

Territorial behavior

The Chinese pangolin is mostly nocturnal, which means that it is rarely seen. The main activity phases are between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. The duration of the activities ranges from 30 to 90 minutes. It often covers longer distances, especially in summer. The Chinese pangolin is mostly on the ground, but is also a good swimmer and climber. On the ground it moves on four feet. The claws of the front feet are folded down and point backwards. Usually an animal walks slowly with its head partially swaying. However, it can also move quickly, in which case it turns into a bipedal corridor. The tail serves to balance the equilibrium. In the trees, the Chinese pangolin uses a kind of caterpillar-like locomotion with its back constantly bending and stretching, the tail is usually wound around the trunk for protection. It is possible that individual animals maintain territories. Males fight each other when confronted, which may indicate a certain hierarchy. There are scent glands on the buttocks, which emit secretions with a musky odor. These scents may serve as a mark or as a defense. Urine and feces are buried with the front legs in small holes 5 to 10 cm deep. In danger, the Chinese pangolin makes a hissing sound and, when confronted directly, curls up into a ball.

The pangolin spends the day in self-dug earthworks. When creating the burrows, she uses the claws on her front feet to loosen up the soil. This is then pushed away with the hind feet, while the tail is anchored to the ground and thus supports the body when digging. On average, an animal digs 2 to 3 meters per hour. According to investigations in the Dawuling Nature Reserve in the Chinese province of Guangdong, the burrows are mostly at the foot or in the middle of south-facing, sunny slopes with an incline of 30 to 60 °. Mixed forests of coniferous and deciduous trees with a dense vegetation cover, especially in winter, but not closed treetops are preferred. The single entrance measures 6 to 8 inches in diameter and is often covered by mud. Two different types of building are known. Summer burrows lie flat underground, at only 15 to 20 cm deep, and reach 80 to 100 cm in length. Colonies of ants or termites are usually found 50 to 100 m away. An individual uses this burrow over 2 to 7 days. In winter, the burrows reach up to 2 m deep underground and are often found in close proximity to termite nests. They lead into a chamber that is also up to 2 m in size. A study of a winter construction in the Luofushan Nature Reserve , also in the Chinese province of Guangdong, shows that the temperature inside is relatively stable with only minimal fluctuations over the day. It is around 19 ° C and thus around 4 ° C above the outside temperature. The mother animals also raise their young in the winter burrows. It is unclear whether the Chinese pangolin will also change its structure in winter.

nutrition

The diet of the Chinese pangolin consists mainly of ants and termites . The individual animals proceed very selectively when choosing certain species, but then eat both the eggs and the adult individuals of a nest. The food is tracked with the very good sense of smell . In Taiwan, the termite genera Odontotermes and Reticulitermes are possibly an important food resource. Studies of stomach contents in the Maoming-Dawuling Nature Reserve in the Chinese province of Fujian have provided evidence that the Chinese pangolin feeds on a total of eleven species of termites and ants from nine different genera. In summer, ants of the genus Polyrhachis predominate , in winter, however, termites of the genera Macrotermes and Coptotermes . Preferred feeding places are 45% in coniferous forests mixed with deciduous trees and there under fallen leaves, in the grass, in rotting wood in the form of fallen trees or tree stumps or in termite and ant nests. The animals often dig tunnels to the nests or follow the passages that were created by the prey. The nests are broken open with the claws of the front feet and the food is taken in with the long, sticky tongue. Smaller nests can be used up within 30 minutes. An animal looks for larger nests with a diameter of around 90 cm for several nights in a row until the amount of food is reduced. An average sized animal weighing 4.5 kg can eat up to 500 g of food. According to reports, the pangolin can go without food for up to seven days in summer and up to ten in winter.

Reproduction

Females are sexually mature at one year. Males fight among themselves for mating privilege. The mating season may be limited seasonally. It takes place next to the female's home in spring and usually lasts for 3 to 5 days. During the sexual act, which usually lasts up to 5 minutes, the tails of the two animals are intertwined. Little is known about the length of the gestation period , but it is often estimated at just over two months; according to various studies on animals in captivity, it should last less than 169 days or even up to a year. Observed births occurred between September and February. As a rule, a young animal is born that is between 20 and 21 cm long (the tail reaches 6.7 to 7.5 cm in length) and weighs 80 to 110 g. The newborns are well developed, have open eyes, soft scales with hair growing in between and well-developed claws, and they are also able to crawl immediately after birth. During the winter, the mother animal raises the young in the winter den. There both live in a kind of breeding chamber in which the young animal is initially suckled and which is isolated from external temperature influences. A termite nest in the vicinity of the winter building will later provide solid food. In spring, the mother and young animal leave the den, the young rides on the mother's tail, and very young animals are also carried on the stomach. The boy is very active and climbs. The mother does not stop a young animal that is walking, other females sometimes adopt cubs who are walking around alone. In the event of danger, the mother and the young will curl up. The young animal is weaned after around three months. Life expectancy in the wild is unknown. Animals kept in zoos spent at least ten years there.

Parasites

The most common external parasites are ticks from the genus Amblyomma . Internal parasites can usually be assigned to roundworms. Reports include Manistongylus and Necator in animals from Taiwan and Strongyloides and Leipernema in individuals from India. In addition, Cylicospirura and Cheonofilaria have been documented in pangolins from mainland China . There is also evidence of the scratch worm Paraprosthenorchis .

Systematics

Internal systematics of the Manidae according to Gaubert et al. 2018
  Manidae  
  Manis  


 Manis crassicaudata


   

 Manis culionensis


   

 Manis javanica




   

 Manis pentadactyla



   
  Smutsia  

 Smutsia gigantea


   

 Smutsia temminckii



  Phataginus  

 Phataginus tetradactyla


   

 Phataginus tricuspis





Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style

The Chinese pangolin belongs as an independent species in the genus Manis , which also includes three other species that still exist today. All four species together form the Asian representative of the family of pangolins (Manidae). The pangolins, in turn, are currently the only member of the order of the Pholidota, which are therefore to be regarded as monotypical . The predatory animals (Carnivora) belong to the more extensive family of pangolins. The relationship between the two groups, however, was only determined and verified through molecular genetic studies. All Asian representatives of the pangolins are placed in the subfamily of the Maninae . This forms the sister taxon to the African pangolins with the subfamilies of the Smutsiinae and the Phatagininae .

Historical illustration of the Chinese pangolin from 1812
Historical illustration of the Chinese pangolin from 1882

The genus Manis is partially subdivided into the subgenus Manis and Paramanis . In this division, the Chinese pangolin belongs to the former, its closest relative would be the Indian pangolin ( Manis crassicaudata ) as the only other member of the subgenus Manis . However, according to genetic studies from 2017, the Chinese pangolin is the sister group to all other Asian pangolins. It split off from the common ancestral line in the Middle Miocene 12.9 million years ago. Fossil remains of the Chinese pangolin are not known. Three subspecies are assigned to the pangolin species:

  • M. p. aurita Hodgson , 1836; in northern South, Southeast and Southeast Asia
  • M. p. pentadactyla Linnaeus , 1758; in Taiwan
  • M. p. pusilla Allen , 1906; on Hainan

According to genetic studies, the Taiwanese and mainland subspecies differ in the number of nucleolus organizer regions on the chromosomes , although it is unclear whether this is due to a long separation of the populations. Within the subspecies M. p. aurita , there is a brown-gray and a very dark color variation. According to studies on animals from the Chinese province of Yunnan based on mitochondrial DNA , these are said to have separated from one another around 600,000 during the course of the Pleistocene .

The species was first described in 1758 by Linnaeus . The species name he gave pentadactyla refers to the five toes on the feet, which indicates that Linnaeus must have seen a specimen of the species. As a type locality he gave "Formosa", today's Taiwan . For the establishment of the subspecies M. p. aurita , Brian Houghton Hodgson used a 89 cm long animal from the lowlands of Nepal , but he used the species name Manis auritus . The subspecies M. p. Joel Asaph Allen described pusilla as an independent species based on a small and quite old individual with only 42 cm head-trunk length and 67 cm total length from Hainan . At the time of the description, only three animals were known from the island.

Threat and protection

The greatest threat to the Chinese pangolin population is heavy hunting, mainly in China and Vietnam . It is considered relatively easy to catch compared to arboreal species such as the Malay pangolin because of its bottom-dwelling way of life . In Traditional Chinese Medicine , pangolin scales are used to treat skin diseases, improve blood circulation and stimulate milk production in nursing mothers. Their meat is also considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam. Since 2000, the trade in these animals or their body parts has been forbidden according to the Washington Convention on the Protection of Species (CITES), so the CITES zero annual export quota applies . The Chinese pangolin is also protected by local legislation, but animals are still traded on the black market, which is increasingly internationalized. In overpopulated South and East Asia, habitat destruction also plays a major role. Due to these factors, the population in some Chinese provinces has plummeted by up to 90% since the year 2000, such as in Guangdong and Hunan , and the species may have disappeared entirely from the island of Hainan . The total population in mainland China was estimated at 25,100 to 49,450 animals in 2008. The IUCN classified the Chinese pangolin because of the threat to the existence in 2014 of "high risk" ( endangered ) to "threatened with extinction" ( critically endangered ) high. The pangolin is represented in several protected areas.

literature

  • Phillipe Gaubert: Order Pholidota. In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hooved Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4 , pp. 82-103 (pp. 97-98)
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899
  • Tej Kumar Shrestha: Wildlife of Nepal - A Study of Renewable Resources of Nepal Himalayas. Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 2003, ISBN 99933-59-02-5
  • Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . 3rd edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Phillipe Gaubert: Order Pholidota. In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hooved Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4 , pp. 82-103 (pp. 97-98)
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Martha E. Heath: Manis pentadactyla. Mammalian Species 414, 1992, pp. 1-6
  3. ↑ Wu Shibao, Liu Naifa, Zhang Yingmei and Ma Guanghzi: Physical measurements and comparison for two species of pangolin. Acta Theriologieca Sinica 24 (4), 2004, pp. 361-364
  4. ^ Robert J. Emry: The Edentulous Skull of the North American Pangolin, Patriomanis americanus. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 285, 2004, pp. 130-138
  5. ↑ Wu Shibao, Liu Naifa, Ma Guanghzi, Xu Zhaorong and Chen Hai: Studies on habitat selection by Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) in Dawuling Natural Reserve. Acta Ecologica Sinica 23 (6), 2003, pp. 1079-1086
  6. ↑ Fangyin Bao, Shibao Wu, Chao Su, Li Yang, Fuhua Zhang and Guangzhi Ma: Air temperature changes in a burrow of Chinese pangolin, Manis pentadactyla, in winter. Folia Zoologica 62 (1), 2013, pp. 42-47
  7. ↑ Hou-Feng Li, Jing-Shiun Lin, Yen-Chiu Lan, Kurtis Jai-Chyi Pei and Nan-Yao Su: Survey of the Termites (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae) in a Formosan Pangolin Habitat. Florida Entomologist 94 (3), 2011, pp. 534-538
  8. ↑ Wu Shibao, Liu Naifa, Li Youyu and Sun Ruyong: Preliminary observation on the food habits and foraging behavior in Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla. In: S. Pantel and CS Yun (Eds.): Proceedings of the Workshop on Trade and Conservation of Pangolins Native to South and Southeast Asia, 30 June - 2 July 2008, Singapore Zoo, Singapore. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 2008, p. 94
  9. ↑ a b Ci Wen Yang, Suming Chen, Chi-Yen Chang, Mei Fong Lin, Erik Block, Ronald Lorentsen, Jason SC Chin and Ellen S. Dierenfeld: History and Dietary Husbandry of Pangolins in Captivity. Zoo Biology, 26, 2007, pp. 223-230
  10. ↑ Shih-Chien Chin, 1,2 Chen-Yen Lien, Ya-Ting Chan, Chun-Lin Chen, Yi-Ching Yang and Lih-Seng Yeh: Monitoring the Gestation Period of Rescued Formosan Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla) With Progesterone Radioimmunoassay . Zoo Biology 31, 2012, pp. 479-489
  11. ↑ Norman TL Lim and Peter KL Ng: Home range, activity cycle and natal den usage of a female Sunda pangolin Manis javanica (Mammalia: Pholidota) in Singapore. Endangered Species Research 3, 2007, pp. 1-8
  12. ^ A b Martha E. Heath and SL vanderlip: Biology, husbandry, and veterinary care of captive Chinese Pangolins (Manis pentadactyla). Zoo Biology 7, 1988, pp. 293-312
  13. ↑ Thomas M. Kollars and Ratana Sithiprasasna: New Host and Distribution Record of Amblyomma javanense (Acari: Ixodidae) in Thailand. Journal of Medical Entomology 37 (4), 2000, pp. 640-640
  14. ^ Andrei Daniel Mihalca, Călin Mircea Gherman and Vasile Cozma: Coendangered hard-ticks: threatened or threatening? Parasites & Vectors 4, 2011, p. 71
  15. ^ JH Esslinger: Dipetalonema Fausti sp. n. (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae), a Filarial Parasite of the Scaly Anteater, Manis pentadactyla L. (Pholidota), from China. The Journal of Parasitology 52 (3), 1966, pp. 494-497
  16. ^ JH Esslinger: Change in the Taxonomic Status of Dipetalonema fausti Esslinger 1966 (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae). The Journal of Parasitology 62 (4), 1976, p. 527
  17. ^ Omar M. Amin, Ngyuen Van Ha and Richard A. Heckmann: New and Already Known Acanthocephalans Mostly from Mammals in Vietnam, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Species in Archiacanthocephala. The Journal of Parasitology 94 (1), 2008, pp. 194-201
  18. ↑ a b Philippe Gaubert, Agostinho Antunes, Hao Meng, Lin Miao, Stéphane Peigné, Fabienne Justy, Flobert Njiokou, Sylvain Dufour, Emmanuel Danquah, Jayanthi Alahakoon, Erik Verheyen, William T. Stanley, Stephen J. O'Brien, Warren E. Johnson and Shu-Jin Luo: The Complete Phylogeny of Pangolins: Scaling Up Resources for the Molecular Tracing of the Most Trafficked Mammals on Earth. Journal of Heredity 109, 2018, pp. 347-359, doi: 10.1093 / jhered / esx097
  19. ↑ William J. Murphy, Eduardo Eizirik, Stephen J. O'Brien, Ole Madsen, Mark Scally, Christophe J. Douady, Emma Teeling, Oliver A. Ryder, Michael J. Stanhope, Wilfried W. de Jong and Mark S. Springer : Resolution of the Early Placental Mammal Radiation Using Bayesian Phylogenetics. Science 294, 2001, pp. 2348-2351
  20. ↑ Timothy J. Gaudin, Robert J. Emry, and John R. Wible: The Phylogeny of Living and Extinct Pangolins (Mammalia, Pholidota) and Associated Taxa: A Morphology Based Analysis. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 16, 2009, pp. 235-305
  21. ↑ Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . 3rd edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 ( [1] )
  22. ↑ Sheng-Hai Wu, Ming Chen, Shih-Chien Chin, Dong-Jay Lee, Pao-Yin Wen, Li-Wen Chen, Bao-Tyan Wang and Hon-Tsen Yu: Cytogenetic Analysis of the Formosan Pangolin, Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla ( Mammalia: Pholidota). Zoological Studies 46 (4), 2007, pp. 389-396
  23. ↑ Ya-ping Zhang and Li-ming Shi: Genetic Diversity in the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla): Inferred from Restriction Enzyme Analysis of Mitochondrial DNAs. Biochemical Genetics 29 (9/10), 1991, pp. 501-508
  24. ↑ Oldfield Thomas: The mammals of the tenth edition of Linnaeus; an attempt to fix the types of the genera and the exact bases and localities of the species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1911, pp. 120-158
  25. ^ Brian Houghton Hodgson: Synoptical description of sundry new animals enumerated in the catalog of Nipálese mammals. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 5, 1836, pp. 231-238
  26. ^ Joel Asaph Allen: Mammals from the Island of Hainan, China. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 22, 1906, pp. 463-490
  27. ↑ Peter Newton, Nguyen Van Thai, Scott Roberton and Diana Bell: Pangolins in peril: using local hunters' knowledge to conserve elusive species in Vietnam. Endangered Species Research 6, 2008, pp. 41-53
  28. ↑ Li Zhang, Shibao Wu and Yixin Bao: Current Status of Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla in the Wild: A Rapid Range Wide Population Assessment. In: S. Pantel and CS Yun (Eds.): Proceedings of the Workshop on Trade and Conservation of Pangolins Native to South and Southeast Asia, 30 June - 2 July 2008, Singapore Zoo, Singapore. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 2008, p. 103
  29. ↑ D. Challender, J. Baillie, G. Ades, P. Kaspal, B. Chan, A. Khatiwada, L. Xu, S. Chin, R. KC, H. Nash H. Hsieh: Manis pentadactyla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. ( [2] ); last accessed on November 29, 2014

Web links

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