EndangeredGiant Pangolin
Smutsia gigantea
One of the 6 pangolins on WAnimals
Mammals · Pholidota · Manidae
Phataginus tricuspis
At very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
The tree pangolin is the most widespread arboreal pangolin in Africa. It climbs with the help of a prehensile tail longer than its body and spends the day sleeping in tree hollows. It feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites, which it catches with a sticky tongue that can be more than 25 centimetres long and that is anchored near the pelvis. When threatened it rolls into a compact ball protected by keratin scales. It is the most trafficked pangolin species in Africa, both for bushmeat and for the scale trade to Asia.
Weight
1.6 kg – 3 kg
Size
33 cm – 43 cm
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Best time: All year round in the forests of western and central Africa, at night; it moves through the branches using its prehensile tail.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 21.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Tree Pangolin — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The tree pangolin is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 7 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about tree pangolin.
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