Manis temminckii
ground pangolin

The Temminck's pangolin, or Cape pangolin, has a range similar to a backwards "c" stretching from Chad and Sudan in central Africa, down through Kenya and Tanzania, to the northern parts of South Africa. (Kingdon 1997)

This species will inhabit both high- and low-rainfall habitats, including forests, thick brush, or open grasslands and savannah.

(Nowak 1999)

This species measures approximately 40 - 70 cm head and body length, and about the same for the tail. Males are larger than the females.

The name of the Order of these animals, Pholidota, means, "scaled animals". The body of the Temminck's pangolin is covered with moveable, sharp scales, except for the snout, chin, throat, sides of the face, and the belly. The coloration of these scales gives this species a dark olive brown look similar to that of a pine cone and helps it to blend into many different surroundings.

Temminck's pangolins have small, pointed heads with small eyes that are protected by specialized thick eyelids. It lacks teeth, but has a very long (up to 25 cm in length and 0.5 cm in diameter) and sticky tongue for catching insects. This species also has a specialized stomach for digesting food items that have not been chewed. It has five long claws on the end of each limb and the tail is prehensile. (Minelli et al. 1997, Macdonald 1985) (Kingdon, 1997; Macdonald, 1985; Minelli and Minelli, 1997)

Individuals live a solitary life, only joining others during mating. Because of their excellent sense of smell, the social interactions of pangolins revolve around advertisement through the spreading of feces and the marking of trees with either urine or a secretion from an anal gland. Males may also battle fiercely for the opportunity to mate with a female.

Temminck's pangolins have a gestation period of about 139 days, resulting in usually one young weighing 200 - 500 grams. They are born in an underground natural shelter, and are first carried outside on the mother's back or tail at between 2 and 4 weeks of age. The young begin to harvest their own food by 3 months of age, but are still carried until they are approximately 3 kg. The females breed at any time of the year, even if they are currently rearing young. (Kingdon 1997, Macdonald 1985) (Kingdon, 1997; Macdonald, 1985)

Female pangolins care exclusively for their young, nursing, carrying, and protecting them until they have nearly reached adult size.

This timid species uses its scales as protection from predators. At the slightest hint of confrontation, it will roll into a ball, wrapping its tail and limbs around its body. The scales are sharp and moveable and present quite a challenge to any meal-seeker. It is also almost impossible to pry the pangolin out of its ball position, making for a very good defense. (Minelli et al. 1997)

Temminck's pangolins spend most of their time on the ground, but are also able to climb as well as move very well in the water. They are nocturnal animals that use their good sense of smell to track down food. They walk slowly with the tail dragging behind. (Nowak 1999)

Pangolins create burrows in the ground as a daytime resting space. These dens are usually about 15-20 cm in diameter and extend several meters underground. (Nowak 1999) (Minelli and Minelli, 1997; Nowak, 1999)

Pangolins have an excellent sense of smell, used to find their insect prey. Little is known about intraspecific communication, but they are likely to use smells, visual cues, sounds, and touch.

The diet of the Temminck's pangolin consists mainly of termites and ants, with an occasional larvae or other soft bodied insect. Ant or termite hills are discovered through the pangolin's keen sense of smell, then dismantled by its long and powerful forelimbs. The pangolin then catches the fleeing insects by flicking its long tongue in and out. It has no teeth, so the stomach has exceptionally thick muscular walls for crushing the food items, which are swallowed whole. A pangolin may also swallow stones and store them in the stomach to aid in the crushing part of the digestion. (Nowak 1999)

Pangolins use their thick, keratinized scales and powerful muscles to roll their bodies into nearly impenetrable balls. Few predators will try to capture them, although some large predators may.

Temminck's pangolins are important predators of colonial insects in the ecosystems in which they live.

Temminck's pangolins are killed by natives in Africa for their scales and meat. The scales are taken for use in various jewelry and art. They are exported to China where the scales are prized for their supposed medicinal value as an antiseptic. The skins are also sent legally to the United States and other countries for the manufacture of leather goods, such as boots and shoes. (Nowak 1999) (Nowak, 1999)

There are no adverse effects of pangolins on humans.

Temminck's pangolins are vulnerable to population decreases because of their great economic value to humans and habitat loss to agriculture. In addition to being killed for their flesh and scales, they have several predators including lions and hyenas, are subject to brush fires, and may become electrocuted in areas where such fencing exists. (Kingdon 1997)