Giant pangolin

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Giant pangolin
Temporal range: 5.0–0  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
early Pliocene to present [1]
Giant pangolin (Manis gigantea), Natural History Museum, London, Mammals Gallery.JPG
Mounted specimen in the
Natural History Museum, London
PholidotusAfricanusWolf.jpg
Illustration by Joseph Wolf
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pholidota
Family: Manidae
Genus: Smutsia
Species:
S. gigantea
Binomial name
Smutsia gigantea
Illiger, 1815 [3]
Giant Pangolin area.png
  range
Synonyms
synonyms of species:
  • Manis gigantea(Illiger, 1815)
  • Manis wagneri(Fitzinger, 1872) [4]
  • Phataginus gigantea(Grubb, 1998) [5]
  • Pholidotus africanus(Gray, 1865) [6]

The giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) is a species of pangolin from genus Smutsia of subfamily Smutsiinae within the family Manidae. It is the largest living species of pangolins. [7] [8] [9] Members of the species inhabit Africa with a range stretching along the equator from West Africa to Uganda. It subsists almost entirely on ants and termites.

Contents

Description

The giant pangolin is the largest of all pangolin species. While its average mass has not been measured, one specimen was found to weigh between 30 kg (66 lb) and 40 kg (88 lb). [9] Males are larger than females, with male body lengths about 137 cm (54 in) to 180 cm (71 in) and females about 112.5 cm (44.3 in) to 136.5 cm (53.7 in). [9] Like all pangolins, the species is armored with large, brown to reddish-brown scales formed from keratin. Curiously, it also has eyelashes. The giant pangolin has a long snout, a long, thick tail, and large front claws.

The animal has a strong sense of smell and large anal glands. Its secretions may be significant to animal communication. The species walks with most of its weight on its columnar rear legs, and curls its front paws, walking on the outside of the wrists rather than the palms to protect the claws. Unlike its close relative, the ground pangolin, this pangolin does not walk upright as a biped. [9]

Distribution and habitat

The giant pangolin inhabits many countries, with the largest concentration in Uganda, Tanzania. It is found mainly in the savanna, rainforest, and forest, inhabiting areas with large termite populations and available water. It does not inhabit high-altitude areas.[ citation needed ] A small number of recorded sightings have occurred in western Kenya within the East African montane forests, the first being reported in 1971, with subsequent sightings being made in 2018. One of these sightings took place at 2,466 metres (8,091 ft) above sea level, the highest altitude the species has been recorded at. [10]

Behavior and ecology

The giant pangolin, like other pangolins, is nocturnal, which makes observation difficult. It is also usually solitary, although in one case an adult was seen in a burrow with a juvenile.

Diet

Like all pangolins, the giant pangolin is a specialized insectivore that lacks teeth and the ability to chew. Its diet mainly consists of ants and termites, which it finds by tearing open anthills and termite nests, both subterranean and mound-type.

Because of its relatively large size, the giant pangolin is particularly well-suited to breaking open termite mounds by leaning on the mound and resting its weight on its tail, and then ripping into the mound with its front claws. The combination of weight and physical damage quickly leads to a partial collapse of the mound, exposing the termites. Only the adults are strong enough to do this; their young must follow behind their mothers until they grow large enough to do it for themselves. It eats the insects by picking them up with its sticky tongue, which is up to 70 cm (28 in) long fully extended and can extend out of the mouth for more than 30 cm (12 in). [9]

Reproduction

Very little information about the reproduction of the giant pangolin is known. Two birth records exist, with one litter in September and another in October, with the young weighing around 500 g (18 oz). As in all pangolins, infants have soft scales that eventually harden, and are born with open eyes. They cannot walk on their legs, but can move on their bellies. During age 6–8 weeks, the young often spew a yellow secretion from their anal glands (that is often said to smell of decay and cabbage) to keep predators and other animals from taking advantage of their mothers.

Threats

The giant pangolin is threatened by habitat destruction and deforestation, and hunting for the bushmeat trade. [2] Between 2011 and 2015, nine shipments with pangolin body parts were seized in Asia that originated in Nigeria. They contained 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) pangolin meat and close to 5,500 kg (12,100 lb) pangolin scales that were destined to China and Laos. [11]

Conservation

The giant pangolin has been listed on CITES Appendix I since January 2017. [2]

Giant pangolin in Antwerp Zoo - 1940, Touring Club Italiano Photo Giant pangolin in Antwerp Zoo 1940 - Touring Club Italiano 2 5135.jpg
Giant pangolin in Antwerp Zoo - 1940, Touring Club Italiano

In 2023 a giant pangolin has been spotted in Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal, where the species has not been seen since 1999 and considered extinct in the area. [12]

Phylogeny

Phylogenetic position of Smutsia gigantea within family Manidae [13] [14] [15] [16]

  Pholidotamorpha  

Palaeanodonta Metacheiromys DB152-2.jpg

  Pholidota  

Euromanis

 ? 

Pholidota sp. (BC 16’08)

Eurotamanduidae

  Eupholidota  

Eomanoidea

  Manoidea  

Patriomanidae

 ? 

Necromanis

  Manidae  

Maninae Pangolin Hardwicke (white background).jpg

 ? 

Manidae sp. (DPC 3972 & DPC 4364)

 Smutsiinae 

Phatagininae Anatomische Untersuchungen uber die Edentaten (1852) Phataginus tricuspis.png

  Smutsiinae  
  Smutsia  
 sensu stricto 
 african clade 
 sensu lato 
 sensu stricto 
 (Pholidotasensu lato) 

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pangolin</span> Mammals of the order Pholidota

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 30 to 100 cm. A number of extinct pangolin species are also known. In September 2023, nine species were reported.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ground pangolin</span> Species of mammal

The ground pangolin, also known as Temminck's pangolin, Cape pangolin or steppe pangolin is a species of pangolin from genus Smutsia of subfamily Smutsiinae the within family Manidae. It is one of four species of pangolins which can be found in Africa, and the only one in southern and eastern Africa. The animal was named for the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.

<i>Manis</i> Genus of mammals

Manis ("spirit") is a genus of South Asian and East Asian pangolins, the Asiatic pangolins, from subfamily Maninae, within family Manidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manidae</span> Family of pangolins

Manidae ("spirits") is the only extant family of pangolins from superfamily Manoidea. This family comprises three genera, as well as extinct Fayum pangolin.

<i>Eomanis</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Eomanis is the earliest known true pangolin from extinct family Eomanidae within suborder Eupholidota. It lived during the Eocene in Europe. Eomanis fossils found in the Messel Pit in Germany are very similar in size and anatomy to living pangolins of the genus Manis, indicating that pangolins have remained largely unchanged in morphology and behavior for 50 million years. However, unlike modern pangolins, its tail and legs did not bear scales. According to the stomach contents of the excellently preserved Messel specimens, Eomanis’ diet consisted of both insects and plants.

<i>Eurotamandua</i> Extinct genus of pangolins

Eurotamandua is an extinct genus of mammal from extinct family Eurotamanduidae that lived during the middle Eocene.

<i>Necromanis</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Necromanis is an extinct genus of pangolin from superfamily Manoidea. It lived from the middle Oligocene to middle Miocene in Europe. It was originally placed within family Manidae, but was eventually removed from it as more fossil pholidotids from outside that family were found and studied more extensively. Currently, Necromanis is placed as incertae sedis within the pholidotid superfamily Manoidea, together with the families Manidae and Patriomanidae.

<i>Ernanodon</i> Extinct genus of mammal

Ernanodon is an extinct genus of placental mammal from extinct family Ernanodontidae within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived from the middle to late Paleocene in China and Mongolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-tailed pangolin</span> Species of mammal

The long-tailed pangolin, also called the African black-bellied pangolin or ipi, is a diurnal, arboreal pangolin species belonging to the family Manidae, in the order Pholidota. They feed on ants rather than termites. The common names for this species stem from physical characteristics, such as the extremely long tail or the dark hairs that cover the underside of their bodies and limbs. Pangolin comes from the Malay word pengguling, meaning “something that rolls up”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree pangolin</span> Species of mammal

The tree pangolin is one of eight extant species of pangolins, and is native to equatorial Africa. Also known as the white-bellied pangolin or three-cusped pangolin, it is the most common of the African forest pangolins.

Escavadodon is an extinct genus of pangolin-like myrmecophagous placental mammals of extinct monotypic family Escavadodontidae within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America during the middle Paleocene. It contains a single species, Escavadodon zygus, recovered from the Nacimiento Formation of New Mexico.

<i>Phataginus</i> Genus of mammals

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.

<i>Smutsia</i> Genus of mammals

African ground pangolin 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.

<i>Manis palaeojavanica</i> Extinct species of pangolin

Giant asian pangolin, is an extinct species of pangolin that was native to Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernanodontidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Ernanodontidae is an extinct family of myrmecophagous placental mammals within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in Asia from the middle to late Paleocene.

<i>Euromanis</i> Genus of mammals

Euromanis is one of the earliest known pangolin genera. It lived during the middle Eocene in Europe. Euromanis fossils found in the Messel Pit in Germany. Unlike modern pangolins, it did not bear scales on its body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eupholidota</span> Suborder of pangolins

Eupholidota is a suborder of pangolins that includes two superfamilies: extant Manoidea and extinct Eomanoidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manoidea</span> Superfamily of pangolins

Manoidea ("spirits") is a superfamily of pangolins from suborder Eupholidota that includes extant family Manidae, extinct family Patriomanidae and extinct genus Necromanis.

Smutsia olteniensis is an extinct species of pangolins from genus Smutsia of subfamily Smutsiinae within family Manidae. Fossilized remains of the species were found in Romania, providing evidence regarding the existence of pangolins in Europe during the Plio-Pleistocene period.

Cryptomanis is an extinct genus of pangolin from extinct family Patriomanidae. The genus is only known from the holotype specimen from middle Eocene deposits from Inner Mongolia, China. The holotype, AMNH 26140, was for years labeled as an unnamed pangolin in the fossil collection for decades. The remains consist of an incomplete postcranial specimen, with nearly complete hind limbs, an incomplete pelvis, a complete lumbar series from an incomplete vertebral column, numerous fragmentary remains of rib and sternal bones, a fragmentary scapula, and partially preserved forelimbs. Based on the femural length Cryptomanis was comparable in size to the modern Sunda pangolin.

References

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