Pangolin
Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters,[12] are mammals of the order Pholidota (/fɒlɪˈdoʊtə/). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia.[13] Manis comprises four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa.[14] These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm (12 to 39 in). A number of extinct pangolin species are also known. In September 2023, nine species were reported.[15]
For other uses, see Pangolin (disambiguation).
Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales, similar in material to fingernails and toenails, covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring, which they raise for about two years. Pangolins superficially resemble armadillos, though the two are not closely related; they have merely undergone convergent evolution.
Pangolins are threatened by poaching (for their meat and scales, which are used in traditional medicine[16][17]) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats, and are the most trafficked mammals in the world.[18] As of January 2020, there are eight species of pangolin whose conservation status is listed in the threatened tier. Three (Manis culionensis, M. pentadactyla and M. javanica) are critically endangered, three (Phataginus tricuspis, Manis crassicaudata and Smutsia gigantea) are endangered and two (Phataginus tetradactyla and Smutsia temminckii) are vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[19]
Etymology[edit]
The name of order Pholidota comes from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"[20] from φολίς pholís "scale".[21]
The name "pangolin" comes from the Malay word pengguling meaning "one who rolls up"[22] from guling or giling "to roll"; it was used for the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica).[23] However, the modern name is tenggiling. In Javanese it is terenggiling;[23] and in the Philippine languages, it is goling, tanggiling, or balintong (with the same meaning).[24]
In ancient India, according to Aelian, it was known as the phattáges (φαττάγης).[25]
Folk medicine[edit]
Pangolin scales and flesh are used as ingredients for various traditional Chinese medicine preparations.[88] While no scientific evidence exists for the efficacy of those practices, and they have no logical mechanism of action,[89][90][91] their popularity still drives the black market for animal body parts, despite concerns about toxicity, transmission of diseases from animals to humans, and species extermination.[88][92] The ongoing demand for parts as ingredients continues to fuel pangolin poaching, hunting and trading.[93]
The first record of pangolin scales occurs in Ben Cao Jinji Zhu ("Variorum of Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica", 500 CE), which recommends pangolin scales for protection against ant bites; burning the scales as a cure for people crying hysterically during the night.[94] During the Tang dynasty, a recipe for expelling evil spirits with a formulation of scales, herbs, and minerals appeared in 682, and in 752 CE the idea that pangolin scales could also stimulate milk secretion in lactating women, one of the main uses today, was recommended in the Wai Tai Mi Yao ("Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library").[94] In the Song dynasty, the notion of penetrating and clearing blockages was emphasized in the Taiping sheng hui fan ("Formulas from Benevolent Sages Compiled During the Era of Peace and Tranquility"), compiled by Wang Huaiyin in 992.[94]
In the 21st century, the main uses of pangolin scales are quackery practices based on unproven claims the scales dissolve blood clots, promote blood circulation, or help lactating women secrete milk.[88][94] The supposed health effects of pangolin meat and scales claimed by folk medicine practitioners and quacks are based on their consumption of ants, long tongues, and protective scales.[88]
The official pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China included Chinese pangolin scales as an ingredient in TCM formulations.[94] Pangolins were removed from the pharmacopoeia starting from the first half of 2020.[95] Although pangolin scales have been removed from the list of raw ingredients, the scales are still listed as a key ingredient in various medicines.[96]
Pangolin parts are also used for medicinal purposes in other Asian countries such as India, Nepal and Pakistan. In some parts of India and Nepal, locals believe that wearing the scales of a pangolin can help prevent pneumonia.[97] Pangolin scales have also been used for medicinal purposes in Malaysia, Indonesia and northern Myanmar. Indigenous people in southern Palawan, Philippines, have held the belief that elders could avoid prostate illnesses by wearing belts made with the scales.[98]