Philippine pangolin

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Philippine pangolin
Philippine Pangolins by Gregg Yan.jpg
An adult Philippine Pangolin and her pup photographed in the forests of Palawan
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: Manis
Subgenus: Paramanis
Species:
M. culionensis
Binomial name
Manis culionensis
(de Elera, 1915)
Philippine Pangolin area.png
Philippine pangolin range
Philippine pangolin on a 2015 stamp of the Philippines Philippine pangolin 2015 stamp of the Philippines.jpg
Philippine pangolin on a 2015 stamp of the Philippines

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. [3] 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). [4]

Contents

Taxonomy

Taxidermied Philippine Pangolin displayed at Philippine National Museum. Taxidermied Philippine Pangolin displayed at Philippine National Museum.jpg
Taxidermied Philippine Pangolin displayed at Philippine National Museum.

The species was first described by Casto de Elera in 1915; it was also mentioned by de Elera in an 1895 work. [5] [6] In the past, this species has been included with the Sunda pangolin, Manis javanica, but has been considered a distinct species since 1998. [7] Five distinct morphological characteristics involving the skull and the scales have been identified which separate it from the closely related M. javanica. Both M. javanica and M. culionensis are grouped in subgenus Paramanis. [8] Genetic isolation leading to the speciation between these species is hypothesized to have been caused by rising sea levels severing a land bridge from Borneo in the Early Pleistocene. [9]

The generic name Manis is from the Greek chthonic deity Manes, while the specific name culionensis refers to the island of Culion in Palawan. [10]

The local name balintong (also halintong or malintong) means "one who rolls over" or "one who somersaults" in the Visayan Cuyonon language. Other names in Cuyonon include balekon or balikon and goling, with the same meaning. In the Palawan language, it is also known as tanggiling (also spelled tangiling), also with the same meaning. [11]

Description

The Philippine pangolin is roughly 60 to 89 centimetres (24 to 35 in) long, plus a 36 to 59 centimetres (14 to 23 in) tail. It weighs 2.2 to 73 lb (1 to 33 kg). [12] [13] Philippine pangolins in captivity can live up to about 20 years. [14] It is covered in small triangular scales made of keratin everywhere except the underbelly and face, making up at least 20% of the body weight. [13] [15] [14] It regrows new scales when they are lost and always has the same number of scales throughout their lifespan. The scales come in shades of brown, yellow and olive, making for adequate camouflage at night. [13] Newer offspring have much softer scales than adults and tend to weight about 90–500 grams (3–18 oz). [13] [14] Areas of the body without scales are covered in a layer of hair. [13]

The Philippine pangolin has five sharp claws per foot and powerful appendages used for digging. However, these claws are not used as weapons for attacking or defending other animals. Pangolins can also run solely on their hind legs for a duration, using their tail for balance. [13] Its tail is prehensile, allowing it to grab onto branches or stand on its hind legs, despite being covered in scales. [14] The tail also aids the species with climbing and standing upright or to be used as a weapon to puncture enemies using its sharp scales. [13]

The Philippine pangolin's tongue can stretch up to 25 cm (10 inches) long and is coated in an adhesive saliva that is helpful for catching insects. [14] Its head is cone shaped with a long snout and no teeth. [15] [14]

Diet

The Philippine pangolin is a myrmecophage, so has a diet consisting mainly of but not limited to termites and ants. It has in incredible sense of smell that it uses to find its food. The Philippine pangolin is seem to have strong preferences when it comes to the insects they eat, selectively consuming a certain species of ant or termite they like, or even actively avoiding certain species when there is enough of a food abundance to be picky. [13] Its forefeet are used to dig into mounds and logs while its tongue harvests insects. [15] [14] The pangolin will only ever eat a portion of a termite or ant colony, leaving most of the mound/hill intact for the colony to regrow and act as a continuous food source for the pangolin later down the line. [13] It consumes sand and small stones to help grind food in their stomachs. [16]

Behavior

A Philippine Pangolin pup nudges its mother, rolled up into a protective ball. Philippine Pangolin Curled-up by Gregg Yan.jpg
A Philippine Pangolin pup nudges its mother, rolled up into a protective ball.

The Philippine pangolin is nocturnal and reclusive, tending towards being solitary or in pairs. [14] Because they are mainly active at night, their eyesight is below average. [13] While their hearing is still only about average, they make up for their lack of vision with their extraordinary sense of smell. [13] It generally travels slowly, but can move in a short burst towards safety when it becomes startled, and even has a limited ability to swim. [13] [14] Occasionally, it can be seen standing on its hind legs, balancing on its tail, to help detect nearby predators. [13]

While some of their time is spent on the ground foraging, Philippine pangolins are arboreal, and tend to stay in the tree canopy. [15] [14] When sleeping, they prefer to take refuge inside hollow trees. [13] When threatened, they, like all pangolins, secrete a foul odor and roll into a ball, relying on the protection provided by their scales. [15] [14] Many even sleep rolled up into a ball to protect themselves while they are unaware. They are not known for being territorial animals, but they may be seen leaving their scent to let others know they've taken refuge there for a while. [13]

Reproduction

While little is known about the reproduction of Philippine pangolins, their mating habits are thought to be similar to those of the Sunda pangolin. Like most pangolins, Philippine pangolins mate in the spring. The same odorous secretion used as a self-defense mechanism is also used in mating habits. The secretion is used by males to assert against other males, attract a mate, and are used by the mother while nurturing their young. [13]

The young are born after a gestation period around 18 weeks and are suckled by their mothers about four months. [17] Usually only one offspring is born at once, and they are carried around on the mothers back for a time. [14] When sleeping or threatened, the mother tends to roll in a ball for defense like usual, but with the young cradled in a ball of their own, encompassed in the mother's ball. At the age of about 5 months, young will separate from their mother. Female pangolins even adopt lone young that have lost their own mother. [13]

Hunting and conservation

The Philippine pangolin, much like every other species of pangolin, is considered threatened due to how sought after they are to hunters. Other than the meat, which is a delicacy in certain Asian cultures, the Philippine Pangolin is hunted for their scales, organs, and skin, which are used in traditional medicine. [15] [14] In 2016, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listed the animal as protected under Appendix I (meaning commercial international trade was prohibited) due to how much international trade influenced pangolin hunting. [14] The Zoological Society of London has listed the mammal as an EDGE species. [18]

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. Several 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. This family comprises three genera, as well as the extinct Fayum pangolin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine forest turtle</span> Species of turtle

Siebenrockiella leytensis is a species of freshwater turtle endemic to the Philippines. It is classified as critically endangered. It is known as the Philippine forest turtle, the Philippine pond turtle, the Palawan turtle, or the Leyte pond turtle. Despite the latter common name, it does not occur in the island of Leyte but is instead native to the Palawan island group. It is locally known as bakoko in Cuyonon.

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

The Indian pangolin, also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater, is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as 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.

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

The giant pangolin is a species of pangolin from genus Smutsia of subfamily Smutsiinae within the family Manidae. It is the largest living species of pangolins. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunda pangolin</span> Species of pangolin found in southeast Asia

The Sunda pangolin, 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".

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

The Chinese pangolin 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.

<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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pangolin trade</span> Illegal poaching, sale and trafficking

The pangolin trade is the illegal poaching, 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 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.

Pangolin, sometimes known as a scaly anteater, is a mammal of the order Pholidota -one extant family, Manidae; more specifically:

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

  1. ↑ Schoppe, S.; Katsis, L.; Lagrada, L. (2019). "Manis culionensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T136497A123586862. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T136497A123586862.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ↑ Manis culionensis Archived 2009-03-18 at the Wayback Machine in A synopsis of the mammilian fauna of the Philippine Islands. The Field Museum.
  4. ↑ "Philippine Pangolin". Pangolinsg.org. Retrieved on 2016-06-22.
  5. ↑ Schlitter, D.A. (2005). "Order Pholidota". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 530. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  6. ↑ Catálogo sistemático de toda la fauna de Filipinas: conocida hasta el presente, y á la vez el de la colección zoológica del Museo de PP. Dominicos del Colegio-universidad de Sto. Tomás de Manila, escrito con motivo de la Exposición Regional Filipina Imprenta del Colegio de Santo Tomás, 1895
  7. ↑ ITIS Standard Report for "Manis culionensis" Taxonomic Serial No.: 727709. Itis.gov. Retrieved on 2016-06-22.
  8. ↑ Paramanis in Wilson and Reeder's Mammal Species of the world: 3rd Edition
  9. ↑ Gaubert, Philippe; Antunes, Agostinho (2005). "Assessing the Taxonomic Status of the Palawan Pangolin Manis Culionensis (Pholidota) Using Discrete Morphological Characters". Journal of Mammalogy. 86 (6): 1068. doi: 10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[1068:ATTSOT]2.0.CO;2 .
  10. ↑ Schoppe, Sabine; Katsis, Lydia K.D.; Alvarado, Dexter; Acosta-Lagrada, Levita (2019). "Philippine pangolin Manis culionensis (de Elera, 1915)". In Challender, Daniel W.S.; Nash, Helen C.; Waterman, Carly (eds.). Pangolins: Science, Society and Conservation. Academic Press. ISBN   9780128155066.
  11. ↑ Vergara, Benito S.; Idowu, Panna Melizah H.; Sumangil, Julia H.; Gonzales, Juan Carlos; Dans, Andres. Interesting Philippine Animals. Island Publishing House, Inc. ISBN   9718538550. Archived from the original on 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  12. ↑ Schoppe, Sabine; Katsis, Lydia K.D.; Alvarado, Dexter; Acosta-Lagrada, Levita (2020). "Philippine pangolin Manis culionensis (de Elera, 1915)". In Challender, Daniel W.S.; Nash, Helen C.; Waterman, Carly (eds.). Pangolins. Academic Press. pp. 109–122. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-815507-3.00007-1.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Pholidota (Pangolins) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "pangolin | Description, Habitat, Diet, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "pangolin". InfoPlease. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  16. ↑ Philippine Pangolin. The Animal Files. Retrieved on 2016-06-22.
  17. ↑ Helmsworth, A. (2011). Manis culionensis. Animal Diversity Web.
  18. ↑ "Philippine Pangolin".
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