Origin
The Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) belongs to the genus Manis, order Pholidota. It is a species of herbivorous mammal endemic to the province of Palawan in the Philippine Islands. It is also called the Palawan pangolin or Malintong. Apart from the main island of Palawan it can be found on the islands of Busuanga, Coron, Culion or Dumaran. It was introduced in 2005 on the island of Apulit.
It lives in forests and adjacent areas with grass. It is a common species in the Philippine islands, but due to its limited range and excessive hunting it is endangered.
After its range is limited, being on an island, the pangolin population is in major decline due to loss of habitat, trade, and other factors. Pangolin is hunted for meat, skin, blood and scales. The only predators of pangolin are man and Python.
The species was first described by Casto de Elera in 1915. In the past it was included alongside the Sunda pangolin, and since 1998 it has been considered a separate species.
It can be found in foreign or specialized literature under the names: The Philippine pangolin, Palawan pangolin (after the province of palawan) or Malintong. The estimated number of pangolins is unknown due to its rarity and the fact that it is a nocturnal, secretive and shy animal.
Feeding the pangolin of the Philippines
The Philippine pangolin feeds mainly on termites. It uses its long tongue covered with sticky saliva to feed on as many ants as possible. Look for insects, especially ants and termites. When he finds a termite nest, he digs with his powerful claws to penetrate as much as possible and then uses his sticky tongue to catch the ants. It is considered a beneficial animal because it controls insect populations.
It uses smell to find insect colonies.
He has no teeth to chew food, so he also needs to consume sand or small pebbles to help his digestion.
Features pangolin of the Philippines
The Philippine pangolin has a body length of 60-180cm and a weight of 1.8 – 2.5 kg. The body covered by interlacing scales is long and round. The tail is prehensila (one can help by it, "grab" the branches of trees). The legs end with long, thick and strong fingers and claws. The young have light body color and scales, this darkens as the animal ages. The tail is almost the same length as the body along with the head.
Unlike its larger relative, the Sunda pangolin, it has smaller scales and a shorter head.
The Philippine pangolin is a nocturnal animal. It prefers solitary outings, so it is not found in groups. Like all pangolins they prefer to stay in trees, but they also descend to the ground in search of food. When threatened by predators they turn into a ball covered with scales. It also removes a chemical odor to ward off predators.
Pangolin skin and scales are said to be used to treat asthma.
Breeding pangolin of the Philippines
Since pangolins are shy and discreet, not all the details about reproduction are known. It is not known which of the two partners take the first step and how exactly they attract their partner.
All pangolins reproduce in spring. The gestation period lasts 18 weeks (around four months). After birth it is fed with milk by the mother until the age of four months. After 5 months of age, the puppies become independent. The female pangolin gives birth to 1-3 cubs each year.
Chickens are carried behind, more precisely in the area where the tail begins. In case of danger, the pangolins are squatted and the chicks are put in the middle because they have a soft body and scales.
Because so far little research has been done on pangolins, they have not been kept in captivity, it is difficult to say life expectancy. It is known that some species of pangolins can live up to 20 years.
