One of the 6 pangolins on WAnimals
Mammals · Pholidota · Manidae
Indian Pangolin
Manis crassicaudata
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The Indian pangolin is a pholidote mammal found in many parts of India and some parts of Sri Lanka. Like other pangolins it is characterised by the large, overlapping scales on its body, which act as armour. It can also curl into a ball to defend itself from predators such as the tiger. It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites that it reaches by opening their nests with its powerful long claws. It lives mainly in burrows and climbs trees. It is also regarded as a curious animal and is killed to make high-value medicines.
Weight
8 kg – 16 kg
Size
60 cm – 75 cm
Lifespan
19 years
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
Fun facts
- An adult pangolin may have more than five hundred scales, making up around a quarter of its body weight: they are made of keratin, the same protein as our fingernails, and have no medicinal properties whatsoever.
- When it curls into a ball the tension is such that neither a lion nor a tiger can prise it open, and its one effective defence fails precisely against human beings, who pick it up off the ground without effort.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Dry and moist forest, scrub, grassland and farmland of the Indian subcontinent
- Sexual maturity
- 2.1 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 2.2 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manis_crassicaudata
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 30 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Indian Pangolin — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
EndangeredBengal Tiger
Panthera tigris tigris
Red Slender Loris
Loris tardigradus
EndangeredTiger
Panthera tigris
Asiatic Lion
Panthera leo persica
Bengal Slow Loris
Nycticebus bengalensis
Hog Deer
Axis porcinus
How to help
The indian pangolin is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about indian pangolin.
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