Pangolins are unique mammals, distinguished by their protective covering of tough, overlapping scales made of keratin, similar to human fingernails. These shy, nocturnal creatures primarily consume ants and termites, using an extraordinarily long, sticky tongue. Despite their gentle nature, pangolins are considered the world’s most trafficked mammals, facing severe threats to their survival. Understanding their natural habitat, or “range,” is therefore crucial for developing effective conservation strategies.
Where Pangolins Live Globally
Pangolins are distributed across two major continents: Africa and Asia. Four distinct species inhabit various regions south of the Sahara Desert in Africa, while another four species are found throughout Asia. Their habitats are diverse, ranging from tropical and flooded forests to thick brush, savannah grasslands, and even arid deserts. These scaly mammals generally thrive in environments where there is an abundant supply of their primary food sources: ants and termites.
Pangolins are not uniformly spread, but concentrated in specific environments that meet their ecological needs. While some species are primarily terrestrial, others are arboreal, demonstrating adaptations to different parts of their habitat.
The Specific Homes of Each Species
The eight pangolin species each occupy distinct geographic ranges and prefer specific habitat types. In Africa, the Ground Pangolin is found in southern and eastern Africa, including countries like Sudan and southern Chad. This terrestrial species favors savannah woodlands with moderate scrub at lower elevations and uses abandoned burrows of other animals like aardvarks. The White-bellied Pangolin, a smaller, semi-arboreal species, is widespread across Central and West Africa, inhabiting tropical forests.
The Giant Ground Pangolin, the largest of all pangolin species, resides in the dense rainforests and forest-savannah mosaics of Central and West Africa. The Black-bellied Pangolin, a smaller arboreal species, is found in the tropical forests of Central and West Africa, including swamp forests and riparian vegetation, climbing trees using its prehensile tail.
In Asia, the Indian Pangolin ranges across the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. While terrestrial, some individuals in Sri Lanka have been observed in rainforest canopies. The Philippine Pangolin is endemic to the Palawan island group in the Philippines.
The Sunda Pangolin is found throughout Southeast Asia, including countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This species forages both on the ground and in trees. The Chinese Pangolin’s range extends from southern Nepal, northeast India, and Bhutan, through Myanmar, northern Indochina, and southern China, including Hainan Island and most of Taiwan. This species inhabits tropical and subtropical rainforests, bamboo, limestone, mixed coniferous, and broadleaf forests. It can also be found in agricultural areas, digging burrows.
Protecting Their Natural Homes
Pangolin populations face threats from habitat loss and fragmentation driven by human activities. Deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urbanization diminish and fragment their natural homes. This reduction and isolation of their habitat restrict pangolins’ movement, limiting their access to food sources and potential mates, which in turn impacts their breeding success and overall survival.
Understanding the specific range and habitat preferences of each pangolin species is therefore important for effective conservation. This knowledge allows for the identification and establishment of protected areas that encompass diverse pangolin habitats. Such targeted efforts are also important for combating the illegal wildlife trade, which depletes pangolin populations within their remaining ranges, worsening habitat degradation.