Species name:
Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), one of the eight species of pangolins.
IUCN Red List status:
Description:
The Sunda pangolin is a medium-sized mammal in the order Pholidota. Adults weigh 14-17 pounds and their bodies typically measure 15-26 inches in length, with a tail nearly as long.
Unique among mammals, pangolins are covered by rows of overlapping scales made of keratin. They use their long, sticky tongues while foraging for prodigious numbers of ants and termites; tens of millions of these insects are consumed by a single pangolin annually. They’re also skilled climbers; Sunda pangolins use their claws and semi-prehensile tails to navigate and rest in trees when not foraging on the ground.
Where they’re found:
Sunda pangolins are distributed across eight countries in Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The species is found in primary and secondary forests, preferring habitats at lower elevations.
Why they’re at risk:
Habitat loss for agricultural development and poaching for illegal wildlife markets are the main contributors to the Sunda pangolin’s precarious status. In some lowland areas of our study areas in Sumatra, they’re confined to marginal scraps of habitat in areas neglected by plantation developers because the land was too swampy to bulldoze.
Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy in restaurants of Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam. Sunda pangolin scales are also used in traditional Chinese medicine, for which they fetch prices as high as $3,500/kg on the black market.
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Why I advocate for this species:
It’s unfortunate that Sunda pangolins, who were the subject of considerable debate as potential reservoirs of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, do not receive more attention in their native habitats from researchers. There are still very few comprehensive conservation efforts for the species and, until our surveys in Sumatra, they were infrequently detected during camera trapping that often focuses on larger animals such as tigers and clouded leopards. By placing some of our cameras closer to ground level, we’ve been able to accumulate 65 photographic records of Sunda pangolins at our study sites in northern Sumatra. This represents one of the most robust camera-trap datasets on the species collected to date.
What do we need to do to protect this species?
We need more pangolin champions, both local and international. In particular, there’s a strong need for greater awareness and enforcement of laws that ban their trafficking. If you think you may have seen a product made from pangolin scales, you can report it.
What you can do to help:
As long as pangolins are smuggled to international markets, they will require assistance from international sources. That’s tougher now that we’re in the midst of funding freezes and budget cuts for international conservation work, but you can send letters to elected officials urging them to reinstate support. You can also sign petitions from groups such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Do you have a story about species advocacy or conservation to share? Here’s how to write your own “Save This Species” entry.
Previously in The Revelator:
