World Pangolin Day: Protecting the “Forest Guardians”

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Author: Li Zhen (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Producer: China Science Expo

The third Saturday of February every year is World Pangolin Day .

Many of my friends probably first came into contact with pangolins in the cartoon Calabash Brothers. In the cartoon, pangolins are kind and brave. In real life, pangolins are also "forest defenders."

However, pangolins are currently facing threats to their survival due to human activities such as hunting in the wild, illegal trade, and habitat destruction. In order to raise people's awareness of pangolin protection, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) officially listed pangolins as "critically endangered species" in 2020.

Pangolins preying on ants

(Photo source: Veer Gallery)

A hermit in the mountains wearing armor

The most obvious feature of the pangolin is that it is always covered with hard "armor". The pangolin is covered with hard scales with fine hairs between the scales. Only the head, tail and legs are scale-free. It is actually the only species among mammals that is covered with scales all over its body.

(Photo source: Veer Gallery)

Pangolin scales can "self-upgrade". Studies have found that pangolin scales can become harder and more durable by continuously increasing their calcium content. When in danger, pangolins can quickly roll up into a ball and use their sharp scales to protect themselves. They can also make a crashing sound to scare off predators. It seems that hard scales can defend against enemies and protect themselves. But the use of pangolin "armor" is not limited to this. It can also be a tool to lure food to the hook.

Pangolin curled up in a ball

(Photo source: Veer Gallery)

Pangolins feed on ants and termites. When they find an ant nest, they lie motionless near it, pretending to be dead, with their scales spread out and a strong odor emitting from their bodies, luring the ants out of the nest.

When the pangolin is covered with ants, it will close its scales tightly, just like locking the ants in an iron box. Then, it will curl up into a ball and roll into the water, and open its scales again, so that the ants will float to the surface of the water, and the pangolin can have a leisurely meal.

Forest guardian with a flexible tongue

Pangolins mainly live in forests and grasslands in Africa and Asia, and are known as the "forest guardians". There are currently eight known species of pangolins in the world, and the main species distributed in China is the Chinese pangolin.

It relies on its flexible tongue to catch prey. The pangolin's tongue can extend 30 centimeters and can move to the abdomen to facilitate their hunting. In addition, there are many tiny barbs on the surface of the pangolin's tongue, which can easily stick to small insects such as ants and termites. A study found that the pangolin's tongue can catch about 40 ants in 0.6 seconds.

Pangolin attacking a tree branch

(Photo source: Veer Gallery)

You can't dig through the mountains, but digging trees on the ground is no problem

In the cartoon "Calabash Brothers", a pangolin accidentally drilled into the Calabash Mountain, releasing the snake demon and the scorpion demon, causing disaster.

In reality, although pangolins do not have the ability to penetrate mountains, their forelimbs are very strong and flexible, which can be used to dig caves and tunnels, which greatly helps them find food and avoid predators.

Pangolins are often considered ground animals, but they can actually climb trees. Pangolins' strong forelimbs and sharp claws can help them climb trees to find food. In addition, pangolins can use the gaps between tree trunks and branches to climb to higher places to escape their predators.

Climbing pangolins

(Photo source: Veer Gallery)

Saving the last pangolins

Pangolins have a long history and cultural significance. However, they have long faced serious threats from overhunting and illegal trade, and their numbers have declined sharply. They have become one of the world's endangered species.

In order to protect pangolins, countries and international organizations have taken a variety of measures. For example, China has taken strict legal and administrative measures to strengthen the protection of pangolins and ban the illegal trade of pangolins. In addition, some institutions have also carried out pangolin breeding and protection work, hoping that these efforts will protect pangolins and prevent them from becoming extinct.

The "forest guardian" that was once widely distributed is now on the verge of extinction. However, researchers and staff have been fighting on the front line to protect pangolins. We need to realize that the protection of pangolins is a long and arduous task. To protect pangolins well, the joint efforts of the whole society are needed.

References:

[1] Paterson, JD, & Baxter, RM (2017). Arboreal behavior in the giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) in the Central African Republic. African Journal of Ecology, 55(2), 309-311.

[2] Zhang, L., Li,

[3] Li Xuxia, Zhou Xiaoliang, Chen Yufeng, et al. (2019). Research status and conservation recommendations for pangolins. Biodiversity Science, 27(5), 534-544.

[4] Guo Kai, Liu Wenjing, Wei Jinlong, & Chen Yanling. (2020). Research progress and conservation prospects of Chinese pangolins. Journal of Wildlife Science, 41(3), 683-694.

Editor: Guo Yaxin