All About Pangolins

One of Africa’s most elusive mammals.

This mammal is one that very few safari goers or guides for that matter ever see or get to tick off their list but for those lucky enough to view them, they’ll be one of the rarest animals they ever see.

These animals are rarely seen out in the daylight, even dusk or dawn, preferring the cover of darkness.

Are pangolins like armadillos?

Pangolins belong to the Order Pholidota and the Family Manidae, whereas the armadillo belongs to the Order Xenarthra and the Family Dasypodidae, so although they have a similar shape and eat a similar range of food they are not in fact related at all. Species belonging to the Order Xenarthra all have a unique backbone which the pangolin doesn’t have and the pangolin can also masterfully roll up into a ball for protection which Armadillo’s don’t do.

What defences do Pangolins have?

Due to their barely penetrable overlapping body scales which cover almost the entirety of their bodies and made of keratin, the pangolin is largely free from predation.

When threatened they roll up into a ball, protecting their softer under layer and being completely surrounded by their armour. Animals such as young lions have been known to play with them while they are rolled up but even these are unable to break through for a feed and eventually get bored and walk off.

If the pangolin is accompanied by a youngster then the adult will pull the baby into it’s belly as it curls up, thus protecting it within the ‘ball’.

While curled up they usually lie still, however if they are further harassed they do sometime suddenly move their tail from side-to-side. This action can cause injury to who ever is bothering it.

What predators do Pangolins have?

Baby pangolins who have yet to master the protective ball technique are vunerable to the larger animals such as lions and hyenas.

However, above all else, humans are by far their biggest predator.

Pangolins walk on their hind legs with their heads just off the ground. If a pangolin encounters an electrified fence, as its instinct is to roll into a ball it will sadly often roll around the electrified strand which ends ups killing it.

They are also hunted by humans for their scales and other body parts which are thought to contain medicinal value by some tribes throughout Africa.

What do pangolins eat?

Pangolins are quite fussy eaters which could also be a reason why they are so low in numbers.

Choosing to only eat termites and certain species of ants. Preferences are determined by the season and how readily available they are but overall it seams that they favour ants over termites in their diet.

They tend to feed mostly on the larvae, pupae, eggs and younger adults of the species rather then the larger winged plates which come out in Spring and Summer.

Their foraging habits also change depending on the season. During times when their prey are mostly underground, pangolins will spend a lot of their time sniffing out and digging up their food. Whereas at times of the year when their prey is above ground they spend far less time on these activities.

When the ant colony is being attack the ‘soldier ants’ secrete noxious fluids so pangolins are only seen feeding for a short time, less then a minute in one area before moving off.

They tend to move far from their dens to forage and will feed while moving. They use existing burrows made by other creatures to rest during the day and at night usually within a week once the food sources around that area are depleted, they will move on to a new den and feeding area.

Are pangolins territorial?

Pangolins are solitary animals and both sexes have been seen to mark areas with urine although it is not known whether this is territorial or not.

As they have such a low population density, researcher see little need for them to mark their territory and so believe this could be merely to demarcate their home range.

Females have been seen rolling in their urine, this could be to carry the scent which then rubs off on vegetation.

When males to encounter one another, they are aggressive and can end up fighting with their tails and claws.

How do pangolins mate?

Due to their sharp scales, pangolins have to be very careful when mating and are unable to do the usual mammalian mounting behaviour. To help reduce the risk of injury they mate side by side with the males tail and genital area moving underneath that of the females.

What are pangolins senses like?

Pangolins eyes are very small and as they mostly forage and move around at night they don’t appear torely on their eyesight. Their small ears lack pinnae and appear to be able to be closed when underground so it is believed that their hearing is also not very good.

However their sense of smell is thought to be the one they rely on the most especially for finding food. When they come across a potential food source it is thought that they dig a hole, stick their head in and then their long sticky tongue is used to lap up any food.