The Chinese pangolin is a unique mammal, recognized by its distinctive covering of hard, overlapping scales. This creature is the only mammal in the world to be wholly covered in such protective armor. Its appearance includes a small, pointed head, a narrow mouth, and a body that typically measures between 40 to 58 centimeters, accompanied by a tail ranging from 25 to 38 centimeters. An adult Chinese pangolin usually weighs between 2 and 7 kilograms, its body adorned with approximately 18 rows of grayish-blue scales accompanied by hair.
Physical Characteristics and Behavior
Its scales are composed of keratin, the same protein found in human fingernails. These scales can constitute around 20% of the animal’s total body weight, providing robust protection. The pangolin possesses specialized adaptations for its diet, including a remarkably long, sticky tongue that can extend up to 40 centimeters, enabling it to capture insects deep within their nests. Its front claws are also adapted for digging, allowing it to excavate burrows up to 8 feet deep for shelter and prey.
Chinese pangolins are primarily nocturnal and solitary, spending their days resting in burrows or hollow trees and emerging at night to forage. When threatened, the pangolin’s defense mechanism is to curl into a tight, impenetrable ball, presenting only its armored scales. This posture protects its soft underbelly, which is not covered by scales. It can also protect itself from insect bites by closing its nostrils and ears, and utilizing thick eyelids.
Habitat and Diet
The Chinese pangolin inhabits subtropical and tropical forests, as well as deciduous forests. Its range extends across Southern China (including Hong Kong, Hainan, and Taiwan), parts of Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam), and the northern Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Bhutan).
Its diet consists almost exclusively of ants and termites. It uses its keen sense of smell to locate insect colonies, then employs its claws to break into nests and mounds. An adult pangolin consumes up to 70 million insects annually, regulating insect populations. This, coupled with its burrowing, contributes to soil aeration and nutrient cycling, making the pangolin an important ecosystem component.
Threats and Conservation Status
The Chinese pangolin faces severe threats, leading to its classification as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2014. Population estimates indicate a decline of over 80% within a 21-year period, equivalent to three pangolin generations. The primary driver of this decline is illegal poaching, making the pangolin the most trafficked mammal globally.
Demand for pangolin scales in traditional medicine, where they are falsely believed to treat various conditions such as psoriasis and poor circulation, fuels much of this illicit trade. Additionally, pangolin meat is considered a luxury food item in some Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam, further driving poaching activities. Habitat loss, largely due to deforestation and human encroachment, also contributes to the species’ vulnerability, reducing the available suitable environments for these shy animals. The pangolin’s natural defense of rolling into a ball, while effective against natural predators, unfortunately makes it easy for poachers to capture.
Global Conservation Efforts
In response to the severe threats facing the Chinese pangolin, significant global conservation efforts are underway. All eight pangolin species, including the Chinese pangolin, received the highest level of international protection under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in 2016, listing them on Appendix I. This listing prohibits all international commercial trade in pangolins and their products.
At a national level, China elevated the protection status of its native pangolin species to Class I in 2020, placing them alongside animals like pandas and tigers. This move was accompanied by China’s decision to remove pangolin scales from its official pharmacopoeia, a list of approved traditional medicines, citing “wild resources exhaustion.” Conservation groups worldwide, including the World Land Trust, WWF, and IFAW, actively work on habitat protection, public awareness campaigns, and support rescue and rehabilitation efforts for trafficked pangolins. These collective actions aim to strengthen legal protections, reduce demand for pangolin products, and promote research for the species’ long-term survival.