Need A Long Term Conservation Action Plan For World Trafficked Animal Species Indian Pangolin (Manis Crassicaudata) In India

Pangolin or the scaly insect eating animal is elusive, nocturnal, non-aggressive, burrowing mammalian species present under the family Manidae.

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There are eight types of pangolins in the world of which four are appropriated in South Asia and the other four in Africa. The Asian species incorporate the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), Indian pangolin (M. crassicaudata), Chinese pangolin (M. pentadactyla) and Malayan pangolin (M. javanica).

In India, two pangolin species are available i.e. Indian pangolin and Chinese pangolin, while the Indian pangolin disseminated all through Indian states (aside from north-east state) and Chinese pangolin present in north-east state (Figure 1). Historically, Indian pangolin disseminated south-west China (Yunnan Province) (Heath 1995) and little territories of Bangladesh; however, they are accounted for to be locally terminated in the two nations (Heath 1995). The Indian pangolin might be arboreal yet for the most part nocturnal and terrestrial. Pangolins play an important ecological role, providing 'pest' control and improving soil quality due to their insect eating behavior. As we know that, a single pangolin consumes as much as 70 million insects per year mainly their favorite food diet ants and termites. Pangolin has cone-molded head and long sticky tongue to encourage exceptionally on termites and ants.