Giant pangolin

Giant pangolin

The Giant Pangolin ( Manis gigantea or Smutsia gigantea ) is a mammal of the family of pangolins ( Manidae ). It is home to the largest members of this group and in the central Africa.

Features

Giant pangolins reach a body length 75-79 inches, the tail is 50 to 65 inches long, the weight is up to 33 kilograms. The top of the head, the back and the flanks, the outer sides of the limbs and tail are covered with horny scales, which are colored yellow brown gray and brown in juveniles in adult animals, as with all pangolins. The unprotected skin (for example, on the belly ) is white. The front feet have large claws grave, the hind feet bear claws also. The head is constructed very simply, as in all pangolins and toothless, the tongue very long ( up to 70 centimeters).

Distribution and habitat

The distribution area of the giant pangolin extends from Senegal to Kenya in the western and south to Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and southwestern Angola. Its habitat is forests and forest near savannas.

Way of life

Giant Pangolins are nocturnal ground dwellers in the rule. During the day they rest in self-dug burrows that can be up to 5 meters deep and 40 meters long and end in a rounded chamber. Usually, they live solitary, but there are also reports of a couple who lived in a building together with a cub.

At night, they go in search of food. They rely on the outer edge of the front feet, or they often move only on its hind legs continued ( bipedalism ) and keep the balance with the powerful tail. In case of threat they can be rolled up into a ball or use the sharp edges of the horny scales on the tail as a defense weapon.

The food of the giant pangolins consists mainly of ants and termites. With the large grave claws of the front feet they break their burrows and with its long, sticky tongue they take their prey to him. The eyes, ears and nostrils can close this to avoid ingress of insects. They have no teeth and grind their prey with the stomach.

Little is known about reproduction. The female gives birth to usually a single young is born. The newborn is well developed and up to 45 inches tall and 400 to 500 grams. The scales are as in all pangolins initially soft and harden after a few days.

Threat

About the level of danger of the giant pangolin is little known because of its nocturnal lifestyle. It is for its meat, which is considered palatable, hunted and endangered by deforestation and conversion of its habitat in agricultural areas. The IUCN lists the species as though unharmed, but that is out of date.

System

The giant pangolin, together with the Steppe pangolin the subgenus Smutsia within the pangolin, sometimes elevated to the rank of a separate genus. Smutsia considered as sister group of all other pangolins.