Giant Pangolin[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Pholidota Family: Manidae Genus: Manis Species: M. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Least Concern ( LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands gigantea
Binomial name
Manis gigantea Illiger, 1815

The Giant Pangolin (Manis gigantea) is a pangolin species. Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger ( November 19, 1775 - May 1813 was a German Entomologist and Zoologist. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Members of the species inhabit Africa with a range stretching along the Equator from west Africa to Uganda. Population distribution redirects here For the probability distribution of a statistical population see Probability distribution and Statistical population The equator (sometimes referred to colloquially as "the Line") is the intersection of the Earth 's surface with the plane perpendicular to the West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. The Giant Pangolin is the largest species of pangolin, or "scaly anteaters" – the large, scaled mammals belonging to the Manidae family. It subsists almost entirely on ants and termites. Ants are social Insects of the family Formicidae and along with the related families of Wasps and Bees belong to the order The termites are a group of Social Insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy The species was first described by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1815. Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger ( November 19, 1775 - May 1813 was a German Entomologist and Zoologist. Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Contents 1 Habitat, range, and endangered status 2 Physical description 3 Behavior 4 Diet 5 Reproduction 6 References 7 Sources 8 External links

Habitat, range, and endangered status

The Giant Pangolin inhabits many countries with the largest concentration in Uganda, Tanzania, and western Kenya. The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south It is found mainly in the savanna, rainforest, and forest, inhabiting areas with large termite populations and available water. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria The termites are a group of Social Insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. The Giant Pangolin does not inhabit high-altitude areas.

Due to habitat destruction and deforestation, the species is in great decline, and this together with the hunting of the Giant Pangolin as bushmeat and for the supposed medicinal properties of its scales has led to concerns about population levels. Habitat destruction is the process in which natural Habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. Bushmeat ( Calque from the French viande de brousse) is the term commonly used for Meat of terrestrial wild animals killed for Because the species is nocturnal, few studies have been carried out. As an Animal behavior, nocturnality describes sleeping during the Daytime and being active at Night - the opposite of the diurnal Currently the pangolin is classified as a "least concern" by the IUCN. Least Concern ( LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category

Physical description

The average mass of the species has not been measured, but one Giant Pangolin was found to weigh 33 kg. Mass is a fundamental concept in Physics, roughly corresponding to the Intuitive idea of how much Matter there is in an object Males are larger than females, with male body length about 140 cm and female about 125 cm. It is the largest of all pangolins, taking the name "Giant Pangolin" because of this. The scales are usually colored brown or reddish-brown. Like all pangolins, the species has large, armored scales and no hair except for the eyelashes. Hair is a keratinised protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the Dermis. An eyelash or simply lash is one of the hairs that grow at the edge of the Eyelid. The Giant Pangolin has a long snout, a long thick tail, and large front claws. A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face consisting of its nose mouth and jaw The tail is the section at the rear end of an Animal 's Body; in general the term refers to a distinct flexible Appendage to the Torso. A claw is a curved pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most Mammals, Birds, and some Reptiles.

The animal has a strong sense of smell and large anal glands. Senses are the physiological methods of Perception. The senses and their operation classification and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields Olfaction (also known as olfactics or smell) refers to the Sense of smell. The anal glands or anal sacs are small paired sacs located on either side of the anus between the external and internal sphincter muscles. Its secretions may be significant to animal communication. Secretion is the process of segregating elaborating and releasing chemicals from a cell, or a secreted Chemical substance or amount of substance Animal communication is any Behaviour on the part of one Animal that has an effect on the current or future behaviour of another animal The species walks with most of its weight is on its columnar rear legs and curls its front paws, walking on the outside of the wrists rather than the palms to protect the claws. In the Physical sciences weight is a Measurement of the gravitational Force acting on an object In Human anatomy, the wrist is the flexible and narrower connection between the Forearm and the palm. By using its tail for balance, the Giant Pangolin will often walk upright as a biped. Bipedalism is a form of Terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs

Behavior

The Giant Pangolin, like other pangolins, is motile and nocturnal, which makes observation difficult. Motility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and actively consuming energy in the process It is also usually solitary, although in one case an adult Giant Pangolin was seen in a burrow with a juvenile. A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an Animal to create a space suitable for habitation temporary refuge or as a byproduct of locomotion The species is capable of climbing trees and other objects. UserStan Shebs for a timetable --> Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet (or A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or

Diet

Like all pangolins, the Giant Pangolin is a specialized insectivore that lacks teeth and the ability to chew. An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of Insects and similar small creatures Its diet mainly consists of ants and termites, which it finds by tearing open anthills and termite nests, both subterranean and mound-type. Ants are social Insects of the family Formicidae and along with the related families of Wasps and Bees belong to the order The termites are a group of Social Insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy An ant colony is an underground Lair where Ants live Colonies consist of a series of underground chambers connected to each other and the surface of the earth by

Because of its relatively large size, the Giant Pangolin is particularly well-suited to breaking open termite mounds, done by leaning on the mound and resting its weight on its tail, and then ripping into the mound with its front claws. The combination of weight and physical damage quickly leads to a partial collapse of the mound, exposing the termites. It eats the insects by picking them up with its sticky tongue, which is up to 16 inches long. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described The tongue is the large bundle of Skeletal muscles on the floor of the Mouth that manipulates Food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition

Reproduction

Very little information about the reproduction of the Giant Pangolin is known. Reproduction is the Biological process by which new individual Organisms are produced Two birth records exist, with one litter in September and another in October, with the young weighing around 500 g. For other meanings of litter see Litter (disambiguation. A litter is the offspring at one birth of Animals from the same mother and usually As in all pangolins, infants have soft scales that eventually harden and are born with open eyes. Eyes are organs that detect Light, and send signals along the Optic nerve to the visual areas of the brain They cannot walk on their legs, but can move on their stomach. In Human anatomy, the stomach is a J-shaped hollow muscular organ of the Gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of Digestion, following

References

Sources

• Ciszek, Deborah. "Manis gigantea (giant pangolin). " Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. June 1999. [1]
• "Pangolin. " African Wildlife Foundation. [2]

External links

• BBC page on the giant pangolin

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic