Biology:Long-tailed pangolin
| Long-tailed pangolin Temporal range: Early Pleistocene – present
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| Individual at Dzanga-Sangha Reserve in the Central African Republic | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Pholidota |
| Family: | Manidae |
| Genus: | Phataginus |
| Species: | P. tetradactyla
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| Binomial name | |
| Phataginus tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1766)
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| Long-tailed pangolin range | |
| Synonyms | |
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The long-tailed pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla), also known as the African black-bellied pangolin, is a diurnal, arboreal species of pangolin in the family Manidae. It is native to forests of western and central Africa, from Senegal east to Uganda and south to Angola.[4] It feeds mainly on ants, unlike most pangolin species, which include termites as a major part of the diet.[4]
The common names refer to the species' unusually long tail and to the dark hair on the underside of the body and limbs.[4] The word pangolin comes from the Malay word pengguling, meaning "something that rolls up".
Description
The long-tailed pangolin has a characteristic very long, prehensile tail, which gives the species its common name. The tail reaches about 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in), while the body reaches about 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) and weighs about 2.0 to 2.5 kg (4.4 to 5.5 lb). Males are slightly larger than females.[4] The tail contains 49 caudal vertebrae, the highest number recorded in a living mammal.[5]
It is the smallest of the eight living pangolin species.[4] Like other pangolins, it is covered with overlapping, artichoke leaf-shaped keratinous scales. The scales are dark brown with yellowish edges and help camouflage the animal against tree bark. The species has 9 to 13 rows of scales on the back, and scales cover most of the body except the face, throat, belly, inner limbs and a small bare patch near the tip of the tail.[4] The bare patch contains a sensory pad that helps the animal find and grip branches while climbing.[4]
The long-tailed pangolin has strong, curved claws adapted for opening ant nests. It has no teeth and has a long tongue that extends into the abdomen.[4] The abdomen, underside of the limbs and face are covered in dark fur instead of scales.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The long-tailed pangolin is native to western and central Africa. Its range extends from Senegal east to Uganda and south to Angola, and includes Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia and Senegal.[4] It occurs in areas including the Congo Basin and the Guinean forests. A gap in records has been reported from southwest Ghana to western Nigeria.[4]
The species inhabits moist tropical riverine forest, swamp forest and rainforest, including agricultural areas within rainforest landscapes. It is almost entirely arboreal and spends most of its time in the forest canopy. It prefers forest interiors rather than forest edges, is a capable swimmer, and is usually found near water.[4]
Behaviour and ecology
Behaviour
Long-tailed pangolins are solitary and shy. They communicate partly through pheromones produced by paired anal scent glands; these scent secretions are likely used to attract mates and mark territorial boundaries.[4]
The long-tailed pangolin is the only pangolin species known to be primarily diurnal, which may reduce food competition with the closely related tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis).[4] Its scales provide camouflage while it forages during the day.[4]
The species has several antipredator defenses. Predators include leopards, pythons and humans.[4] When threatened, the long-tailed pangolin rolls into a tight ball, exposing only its scales. It may also release a foul-smelling fluid from its anal glands.[4] It has been observed sleeping at night in a curled posture in tree hollows, epiphytes, tree ferns and old ant nests.[4]
The long-tailed pangolin is highly adapted for climbing. Its prehensile tail can support the animal's body weight and is used to grip branches. Individuals may hang by the tail alone. If unable to reach another branch while hanging, they may climb back up their own tail.[4] The claws help the animal grip bark and pull itself through the canopy.[4]
Although the species spends most of its life in trees, it is also a strong swimmer. Individuals may drop from overhanging branches into streams and swim with a quick, undulating motion.[4]
Diet
The long-tailed pangolin is myrmecophagous, feeding mainly on ants. It is the only pangolin species known not to depend on termites as a large part of its diet.[4] It uses its well-developed sense of smell to locate arboreal ant nests, opens them with its strong claws, and captures ants with its long, sticky tongue.[4] Because it lacks teeth, food is ground in a muscular, gizzard-like stomach.[4]
The acanthocephalan parasite Intraproboscis sanghae has been recorded from the black-bellied pangolin in Central Africa.[6]
Reproduction
Little is known about reproduction in the long-tailed pangolin. The species is solitary and individuals are thought to come together only to mate. During copulation, the male and female face each other and intertwine their tails.[4]
The species is thought to breed throughout the year. Gestation lasts about 140 days, and females usually give birth to a single offspring. Newborns weigh about 100 to 150 g (3.5 to 5.3 oz) and are born with soft scales that harden within a few days. Young ride on the mother's tail for up to three months. Sexual maturity is thought to occur at about two years of age.[4]
Conservation
The long-tailed pangolin is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.[1] It is also listed in CITES Appendix I.[2] Like other pangolins, it is threatened by hunting for bushmeat and by demand for scales and other body parts used in traditional medicine and wildlife trade.[1]
The species appears to tolerate some habitat modification, including agricultural areas within former lowland rainforest, but populations are believed to be declining.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ingram, D. J.; Shirley, M. H.; Pietersen, D.; Godwill Ichu, I.; Sodeinde, O.; Moumbolou, C.; Hoffmann, M.; Gudehus, M. et al. (2019). "Phataginus tetradactyla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12766A123586126.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12766/123586126. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Appendices I, II and III". Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Template:MSW3 Pholidota
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 Burrell, Leslie (2014). "Manis tetradactyla (long-tailed pangolin)". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Manis_tetradactyla/.
- ↑ Wible, John. "What is in a Tail?". https://carnegiemnh.org/what-is-in-a-tail/.
- ↑ Amin, O. M.; Heckmann, R. A.; Sist, B.; Basso, W. U. (2021). "A review of the parasite fauna of the black-bellied pangolin, Phataginus tetradactyla Lin. (Manidae), from central Africa with the description of Intraproboscis sanghae n. gen., n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Gigantorhynchidae)". Journal of Parasitology 107 (2): 222–238.
Further reading
- Angelici, F.; Egbide, B.; Akani, G. (2001). "Some new mammal records from the rainforests of south-eastern Nigeria". Hystrix – Italian Journal of Mammalogy. 12: 37–43.
- Encyclopedia of Life (2014). "Long-tailed pangolin (Manis tetradactyla) – Information on long-tailed pangolin". Encyclopedia of Life. Accessed 26 April 2014.
- Gaudin, T. J.; Wible, J. R. (1999). "The entotympanic of pangolins and the phylogeny of the Pholidota (Mammalia)". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 6: 39–65.
- Hoffmann, R.; Gardner, A.; Brownell, R.; Koopman, K.; Musser, G.; Schlitter, D. (1982). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press and the Association of Systematics Collections.
- Hutchins, M.; Kleiman, D.; Geist, V.; McDade, M., eds. (2003). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 16: Mammals V. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale.
- Nowak, Ronald M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9.
External links
Data related to Phataginus tetradactyla at Wikispecies
Template:Pholidota Wikidata ☰ Q28173098 entry
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