Tree pangolin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tree pangolin |
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_Nyamebe_Bepo.jpg) |
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| In Nyamebe Bepo Forest Reserve, Ashanti Region, Ghana | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Phataginus
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| Species: |
tricuspis
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| Distribution of the tree pangolin | |
The tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) is one of eight living species of pangolins. These amazing animals are also known as "scaly anteaters." They live in central Africa. You might also hear them called the white-bellied pangolin or three-cusped pangolin. It is the most common type of pangolin found in African forests.
Contents
About the Tree Pangolin
The tree pangolin is a fairly small animal. Its head and body together are about 33 to 43 centimeters (13 to 17 inches) long. Its tail is even longer, measuring 49 to 62 centimeters (19 to 24 inches).
Unique Scales
This pangolin has dark brown to brownish-yellow scales. Each scale has three points, which is why its scientific name is tricuspis (meaning "three-pointed"). These scales cover almost its entire body. Only its face, belly, and the insides of its legs are not covered.
The scales are made of keratin, just like your fingernails! They are strongly attached to the pangolin's skin.
Body Features
The tree pangolin has a small head and a long snout. Its feet are short, but each foot has five long, curved claws. These claws are perfect for digging and climbing.
Where Tree Pangolins Live
Tree pangolins are found across a wide area of Africa. Their home stretches from Guinea in West Africa all the way to parts of Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. They also live south into Angola and Zambia.
Habitat
These pangolins spend most of their time in trees. They are active at night. You can find them in tropical forests, both old and new. They can also live in areas where forests meet savannas. They can even adapt to places changed by humans, like old palm oil farms, as long as they are not hunted too much.
Tree Pangolin Behavior
Tree pangolins can walk in two ways. They can walk on all four legs, or they can walk on their back legs. When walking on two legs, they use their strong tail for balance. They are excellent climbers and can even climb trees that don't have many branches.
Protecting Their Claws
When walking on all fours, they curl their front claws under their knuckles. This protects their claws from wearing down.
Defense Mechanisms
If a tree pangolin feels threatened, it can release a stinky smell, much like a skunk. This comes from special glands near its tail.
When truly scared, it rolls up into a tight ball. Its thick scales protect it like armor. If a mother pangolin has a baby, she will roll up around her baby to protect it. The baby also rolls into a ball! While in a ball, the pangolin can move its scales back and forth, making a cutting motion. It might also make a loud huffing noise.
Senses
Tree pangolins have a great sense of smell. However, since they are active at night, their eyesight is not very good.
Digestion
Instead of teeth, pangolins have a special stomach that works like a gizzard. It's full of small stones and sand that the pangolin swallows. These help grind up their food. Tree pangolins can also fill their stomachs with air before going into water. This helps them float better when they swim.
What Tree Pangolins Eat
Tree pangolins are insect eaters. They love to eat ants and termites. They find these insects in their nests or as they march across trees. This type of diet is called myrmecophagy.
How They Eat
They use their long, strong claws to dig into insect nests. Their tongue is very long, from 25 to 70 centimeters (10 to 27 inches)! It's covered in sticky mucus, which helps them catch insects and funnel them into their mouth. A pangolin's tongue is so long that it's actually attached deep inside its body, near its stomach!
A tree pangolin can eat about 150 to 200 grams (5 to 7 ounces) of insects every day.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Female tree pangolins have small areas where they live alone. These areas are usually less than 4 hectares (10 acres). Male pangolins have much larger areas, up to 24 hectares (60 acres). A male's territory often overlaps with many female territories.
Finding a Mate
Pangolins use their scent to let others know they are around. They leave scent marks with their waste and from their anal glands. When a male and female meet, they don't stay together long, unless the female is ready to have babies.
Babies
A baby pangolin grows inside its mother for about 150 days. Usually, only one baby is born at a time. When a baby pangolin is born, it cannot walk. Its mother carries it around on her tail. The baby's scales are soft at birth, but they start to harden after a few days. Babies drink their mother's milk for about three months. They stay with their mother for a total of five months.
Conservation Status
Sadly, tree pangolins are hunted a lot for their meat and for use in traditional medicine. They are the most common pangolin found in African markets. Because of this, their numbers have dropped quite a bit. Experts believe their population went down by 20-25% between 1993 and 2008.
Their conservation status has become more serious over time. In 1996, they were listed as "Least Concern," meaning they weren't in much danger. But by 2019, they were listed as "Endangered." This means they are at high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. People are working hard to protect these unique animals.
Images for kids
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A tree pangolin skeleton on display at The Museum of Osteology
