Description

Activity patterns. Solitary, nocturnal, and semi-arboreal. Able to move from canopy to ground. Less specialized than other African forest pangolins. Mostly rests in tree hollows or piles of creepers, 10 - 15 m high. In Benin, shelters were mostly found in natural forest trees, preferably in velvet tamarin (Dialium guineense) and kapok (Ceiba pentandra), despite important foraging activities in human-altered zones (teak plantations). Shelters can also be found on the ground, in self-dug shallow borrows (30 - 40 cm deep). Terrestrial and arboreal mounds are also used as shelters. Starting period of activity is variable, from 18: 00 h to after midnight. Females use a series of shelters, each for several days; when changing shelters, their range limits are also redefined. Males change shelter almost every night. Females are active for a brief 3 - 4 h period, and do not walk more than 600 m per night; resting sites are close to each other (less than 300 m in Gabon). Males may be active for more than ten hours and may walk 1 - 8 km. The period of activity is drastically shortened during the rainy season, mainly because prey become much more abundant. The Common African Pangolin has two ways of walking. The diagonal walk is the most frequently used, during which the animal moves at a mean speed of 1 - 1 - 5 km / h. A caterpillar-like walk can also be used. When moving rapidly, the tail is lifted up. Body temperature is 31 - 32 ° C during the day, below the usual mammalian range. Temperature varies from 28 ° C to 36 ° C with variation in external temperature, so thermoregulation can be considered imperfect. Thyroid gland is hypoactive in adult Common African Pangolins. Tail is long and prehensile, with a highly sensitive distal pad, used like a fifth leg. When climbing large and / or smooth trunks, the tail is curled up around the trunk and the animal spirals up, the scales, large and spread, holding onto the rough surface. The tail is also curled around branches to hold on and is used as a pivot to move between branches or trees. When in danger on the ground, the pangolins look for trees to climb, or roll into a ball, with the tip of the tail folded up on the scales of the neck, locking themselves into a defensive position. Most predation occurs on the ground, by Leopards (Panthera pardus), chimpanzees (Pan spp.), and humans. Scales are smaller and appearless protective than in other African pangolins.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Pholidota

Family: Manidae

Genus: Manis

Species: Manis tricuspis Rafinesque, 1821