Editing Ground pangolin

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Ground pangolin
|fossil_range =
|image = Manis temminckii (29645803646).jpg
|image_caption = {{center|A ground pangolin in the wilds of Africa}}
|image2 = Manis temminckii_(29390603130).jpg
|image2_caption = {{center|A ground pangolin in defensive posture}}
|status = VU
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Pietersen, D. |author2=Jansen, R. |author3=Connelly, E. |date=2019 |title=''Smutsia temminckii'' |volume=2019 |page=e.T12765A123585768 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12765A123585768.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
|status2 = CITES_A1
|status2_system = CITES
|status2_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Appendices {{!}} CITES |url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php |access-date=2022-01-14 |website=cites.org}}</ref>
|genus = Smutsia
|species = temminckii
|authority = Smuts, 1832<ref>Smuts, J. (1832.) [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/137910#page/9/mode/1up "Enumerationem Mammalium Capensium"], Dessertatio Zoologica Inauguralis. J. C. Cyfveer, Leidae.</ref>
|range_map = Ground Pangolin area.png
|range_map_caption = Ground pangolin range
|synonyms =
{{collapsible list |bullets=true |title=synonyms of species:
|''Manis temminckii'' {{small|(Smuts, 1832)}}
|''Phatages hedenborgii'' {{small|(Fitzinger, 1872)}}<ref>Fitzinger, L. J. (1872.) "Die naturliche familie der schuppenthiere (Manes)." Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe, CI., LXV, Abth. I, 9-83.</ref>
|''Phataginus temminckii''
}}
}}
{{multiple image
|align = right
|perrow = 1
|total_width = 200
|image1 = Manis temmincki 02 MWNH 719.JPG
|image2 = Manis temmincki 03 MWNH 719.JPG
|image3 = Manis temmincki 01 MWNH 719.JPG
|footer = Skull of a ground pangolin
}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 105-DSWA0082, Deutsch-Süd-Westafrika, Gürteltier.jpg|thumb|Pangolin photographed in Tanzania around 1910]]

The '''ground pangolin''' ('''''Smutsia temminckii'''''), also known as '''Temminck's pangolin''', '''Cape pangolin''' or '''steppe pangolin''' is a species of [[pangolin]] from genus ''[[Smutsia]]'' of subfamily [[Smutsia|Smutsiinae]] the within family [[Manidae]].<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Pholidota |id=13900017 |pages=531}}</ref><ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021"/> It is one of four species of pangolins which can be found in [[Africa]], and the only one in southern and eastern Africa. The animal was named for the Dutch zoologist [[Coenraad Jacob Temminck]].

== Physical description ==
Pangolins are almost completely covered in overlapping, protective scales,<ref name="WIAP">[http://savepangolins.org/what-is-a-pangolin/#Taxonomy "What is a Pangolin?"]</ref> which makes up about 20% of their body weight.<ref name="awf">African Wildlife Foundation.[http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/pangolin "Pangolin"]</ref> The scales are composed of [[keratin]], the same material that forms human hair and fingernails,<ref name="awf"/> and give pangolins an appearance similar to a pinecone or artichoke.<ref name="cnn">John D. Sutter, [http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/04/opinion/sutter-change-the-list-pangolin-trafficking/ "The Most Trafficked Animal You Have Never Heard Of"] CNN</ref> The underside of a pangolin is not covered with scales, but sparse fur, instead. When threatened, it usually rolls up into a ball, thus protecting its vulnerable belly.
Pangolins are {{cvt|30 to 90|cm}} long exclusive of the tail and weigh from {{cvt|5 to 27|kg}}. Across all eight species, adult tail length ranges from about {{cvt|26 to 70|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/pangolin |title=pangolin {{!}} Description, Habitat, Diet, & Facts |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en |access-date=2020-02-28}}</ref> Mature adults are light brown, olive, and dark brown in color, while young are pale brown or pink in color.

Ground pangolins walk on their hind legs, occasionally using their forelegs and their tail for balance.<ref>Stuart, C.; Stuart, M. [https://books.google.com/books?id=pn7hoAEACAAJ&q=stuarts%27+field+guide+to+mammals+of+southern+africa "Stuarts' Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa: Including Angola, Zambia & Malawi"] {{ISBN|9781775841111}}</ref> They have five toes on each hind foot, while their forelimbs feature three long, curved central claws, accompanied by two smaller claws on the first and fifth digits.<ref name="Pietersen2020" /> The muscular forelimbs and central claws are adapted for breaking into ant and termite colonies, as well as excavating [[burrow]]s. Because of these claws, pangolins must balance on the outer edges of their fore feet and tuck in the claws to prevent damage. Pangolins have long, broad tails and small, conical heads with jaws that lack teeth. To replace the act of chewing, the pangolin stomach is muscular, with keratinous spines that project into the interior and contains [[Gastrolith|small stones]] to mash and grind prey, similarly to a bird's [[gizzard]]. Pangolins also have long, muscular tongues to reach and lap up ants and termites in cavities. Their tongues stretch so far, they are actually longer than their bodies. The tongue is attached in the lower cavity, near the pelvis and the last pair of ribs, and is able to retract and rest in the chest cavity. Pangolins have reduced [[Auricle (anatomy)|pinnae]], so they have poor hearing, as well as poor vision, although they do have a strong sense of smell.<ref name= "WIAP"/>

== Range and distribution ==
The African pangolin species are native to 15 African countries dispersed throughout southern, central, and east Africa.<ref name="awf"/> ''S. temminckii'' is the only species found in southern and eastern Africa. It prefers savannah woodland with moderate amounts of scrub at low elevations.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021"/>

== Behavior and social organization ==
Little is known about the pangolin, as it is difficult to study in the wild. Pangolins are solitary animals and only interact for mating. They dig and live in deep burrows made of semispherical chambers. These burrows are large enough for humans to crawl into and stand up. Although it is capable of digging its own burrow, the ground pangolin prefers to occupy those abandoned by [[warthogs]] or [[aardvarks]] or to lie in dense vegetation, making it even more difficult to observe. African pangolins such as the ground pangolin prefer burrows, while Asian pangolins sleep in hollows and forks of trees and logs. They are [[nocturnal]] animals. They mark their territory with urine, secretions, and by scattering their feces. When threatened, their defense mechanism is to curl into a ball with their scales outward, hiss and puff, and lash out with their sharp-edged tails.<ref name="WIAP"/> The scales on the tails are capable of a cutting action to inflict serious wounds.<ref name="awf"/> Pangolins are also capable of emitting noxious acid from glands near the anus, similar to a skunk, to ward off predators.<ref name="guy">Guy Kelly, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11374800/Pangolins-13-facts-about-the-worlds-most-hunted-animal.html "Pangolins: 13 facts about the world's most hunted animal"]</ref> The ground pangolin's main predators are leopards, hyenas, and humans.<ref name="awf"/> Pangolins roll in herbivore dung.<ref name="Pietersen2020">{{cite book |last1=Pietersen |first1=Darren W. |last2=Jansen |first2=Raymond |last3=Swart |first3=Jonathan |last4=Panaino |first4=Wendy |last5=Kotze |first5=Antoinette |last6=Rankin |first6=Paul |last7=Nebe |first7=Bruno |year=2019 |title=Pangolins: Science, Society and Conservation |chapter=Temminck's pangolin Smutsia temminckii |editor=Challender, D. W. |editor2=Nash, H. C. |editor3=Waterman, C. |publisher=Academic Press |pages=187 (175–193) |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-815507-3.00011-3 |isbn=9780128155073 |s2cid=213602166}}</ref> Young pangolins ride on the base of their mothers' tails and slip under the mother when she curls up for protection.

== Diet ==
The ground pangolin is wholly [[Myrmecophagy|myrmecophagous]], meaning that they only feed on [[ant]]s and [[termite]]s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Swart |first=J. M. |date=1999 |title=Ecological factors affecting the feeding behaviour of pangolins (''Manis temminckii''). |journal=J. Zool. |volume=247 |issue=3 |pages=281–292 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb00992.x}}</ref> In fact, they demonstrate prey selectivity, only eating specific [[ant]] and [[termite]] species rather than foraging on the most abundant species.<ref name=":0"/> They have been observed exposing entire [[Subterranean fauna|subterranean]] nests of a certain species of [[termite]]s without eating any, preferring to find their species of choice.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pietersen |first1=D. W. |last2=Symes |first2=C. T. |last3=Woodborne |first3=S. |last4=McKechnie |first4=A. E. |last5=Jansen |first5=R. |date=2016-03-01 |title=Diet and prey selectivity of the specialist myrmecophage, Temminck's ground pangolin |journal=Journal of Zoology |language=en |volume=298 |issue=3 |pages=198–208 |doi=10.1111/jzo.12302 |issn=1469-7998 |hdl=2263/52212 |url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/2263/52212/1/Pietersen_Diet_2016.pdf |hdl-access=free}}</ref> Their determination of suitable prey does not seem to be based on the size of the species alone, but likely also depends on the chemical and mechanical defenses of each species. Even in [[arid]] environments, ground pangolins remain selective in their dietary habits with regard to prey species and only prey on a small subset of available [[ant]] and [[termite]] species.

== Reproduction and lifecycle ==
The lifespan of the pangolin is unknown, but the observed lifespan in captivity is 20 years. They are [[sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]], with the males being 10–50% heavier than females.<ref name="WIAP"/> No defined mating season is known, but pangolins tend to mate during the summer and autumn. The [[gestation period]] ranges up to 139 days for ground pangolins and other African species. African species females usually birth only one offspring, but litters of three have been observed in Asian species. When born, a pangolin has soft, pale scales, which begin to harden by the second day.<ref name="WIAP"/> The young are usually about {{convert|6|in|cm|abbr=on}} long and about {{convert|12|oz|g|2|abbr=on}} at birth. They are nursed by their mothers for 3 to 4 months, but begin eating termites after only one month.<ref name="awf"/> Pangolins reach sexual maturity at 2 years old, when they leave their mothers and begin living alone.<ref name="WIAP"/>

== Conservation status and threats ==
{{see also|Pangolin trade}}

The ground pangolin is listed as [[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]] by the [[IUCN Red List]]. The assessors state, "there is an inferred past/ongoing and projected future population reduction of 30–40% over a 27-year period (nine years past, 18 years future; generation length estimated at nine years) based primarily on ongoing exploitation for traditional medicine and bushmeat throughout the species' range and evidence of increased intercontinental trade to Asia."<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021"/>

The two main threats encountered by ground pangolin populations are [[habitat destruction|habitat loss]] and [[wildlife trade|illegal trafficking]]. Due to human cultivation of land, the pangolin faces [[habitat fragmentation]] and corresponding reduction in numbers.<ref name="WIAP"/> Meanwhile, illegal trade has an even stronger impact, as pangolins are reported to be the most trafficked animal in the world (with elephants a close second). The scales alone account for 20% of the [[black market]] in protected animal parts;<ref name="guy"/> they are boiled off the body and used for traditional medicines. Pangolin meat is sold as a high-end delicacy in China and Vietnam, the blood is believed to be a healing tonic, and pangolin fetuses have alleged health benefits and [[aphrodisiac]] qualities. A conservative estimate of pangolins trafficked illegally each year is 10,000, while actual numbers for a two-year period may be in excess of 250,000. How many are left in the wild is unknown. Pangolins are generally poorly known to the public and their endangered status has so far received much less publicity than in the case of more iconic species.<ref name="cnn"/>{{better source needed |date=July 2018}}

== Phylogeny ==
Phylogenetic position of ''Smutsia temminckii'' within family Manidae<ref name="web2.utc.edu">{{cite journal |last=Gaudin |first=Timothy |year=2009 |title=The Phylogeny of Living and Extinct Pangolins (Mammalia, Pholidota) and Associated Taxa: A Morphology Based Analysis |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |publisher=Springer Science+Business Media |location=Heidelberg, Germany |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=235–305 |doi=10.1007/s10914-009-9119-9 |s2cid=1773698 |url=http://web2.utc.edu/~gvv824/Gaudin%20et%20al%202009.pdf |access-date=2015-05-14 |archive-date=2015-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925134257/http://web2.utc.edu/~gvv824/Gaudin%20et%20al%202009.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="KondrashovAgadjanian2012">{{cite journal |last1=Kondrashov |first1=Peter |last2=Agadjanian |first2=Alexandre K. |title=A nearly complete skeleton of ''Ernanodon'' (Mammalia, Palaeanodonta) from Mongolia: morphofunctional analysis |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=32 |issue=5 |year=2012 |issn=0272-4634 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2012.694319 |pages=983–1001|bibcode=2012JVPal..32..983K |s2cid=86059673 }}</ref><ref name="Gaubert2018">Philippe Gaubert, Agostinho Antunes, Hao Meng, Lin Miao, Stéphane Peigné, Fabienne Justy, Flobert Njiokou, Sylvain Dufour, Emmanuel Danquah, Jayanthi Alahakoon, Erik Verheyen, William T Stanley, Stephen J O’Brien, Warren E Johnson, Shu-Jin Luo (2018) [https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/109/4/347/4622594 "The Complete Phylogeny of Pangolins: Scaling Up Resources for the Molecular Tracing of the Most Trafficked Mammals on Earth"] Journal of Heredity, Volume 109, Issue 4, Pages 347–359</ref><ref name="Heighton2023">Sean P. Heighton, Rémi Allio, Jérôme Murienne, Jordi Salmona, Hao Meng, Céline Scornavacca, Armanda D. S. Bastos, Flobert Njiokou, Darren W. Pietersen, Marie-Ka Tilak, Shu-Jin Luo, Frédéric Delsuc, Philippe Gaubert (2023.) [https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.16.528682v1 "Pangolin genomes offer key insights and resources for the world’s most trafficked wild mammals"]</ref>
{{clade |style=font-size:85%;line-height:100%;
|label1='''[[Pholidotamorpha]]'''|sublabel1={{small|('''Pholidota''' ''sensu lato'')}}
|1={{clade
   |1=†'''[[Palaeanodonta]]''' [[File:Metacheiromys_DB152-2.jpg|60px]]
   |label2='''[[Pangolin|Pholidota]]'''|sublabel2=''sensu stricto''
   |2={{clade
      |thickness2=2
      |1=†''[[Euromanis]]''
      |label2='''?'''|state2=dotted
      |2=†[[Pholidota sp. (BC 16’08)|Pholidota sp. (''BC 16’08'')]]
      |3={{clade
         |1=†'''[[Eurotamandua|Eurotamanduidae]]'''
         |label2='''[[Eupholidota]]'''
         |2={{clade
            |1=†'''[[Eomanis|Eomanoidea]]'''
            |label2='''[[Manoidea]]'''
            |2={{clade
               |thickness2=2
               |1=†'''[[Patriomanidae]]'''
               |label2='''?'''|state2=dotted
               |2=†''[[Necromanis]]''
               |label3='''[[Manidae]]'''
               |3={{clade
                  |thickness2=2
                  |1='''[[Manis|Maninae]]''' [[File:Pangolin Hardwicke (white background).jpg|60px]]
                  |label2='''?'''|state2=dotted
                  |2=†[[Fayum pangolin|Manidae sp. (''DPC 3972 & DPC 4364'')]]
                  |label3='''Smutsiinae'''|sublabel3=''sensu lato''|grouplabel3={{Uline|c=green|'''african clade'''}} |barbegin3=green |barend3=green
                  |3={{clade
                     |1='''[[Phataginus|Phatagininae]]''' [[File:Anatomische Untersuchungen über die Edentaten (1852) Phataginus tricuspis.png|90px]]
                     |label2='''[[Smutsia|Smutsiinae]]'''|sublabel2=''sensu stricto''
                     |2={{clade
                        |label1=''[[Smutsia]]''
                        |1={{clade
                           |thickness3=2
                           |1=''[[Giant pangolin|Smutsia gigantea]]'' [[File:Cambridge Natural History Mammalia Fig 109.jpg|60px]]
                           |2=†''[[Smutsia olteniensis]]''
                           |3='''''Smutsia temminckii''''' [[File:Manis temminckii MHNT PHOL 1.jpg|60px]]
                           }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}

== See also ==
* [[Mammal classification]]
* [[Smutsia]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Pholidota}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q476947}}

[[Category:Smutsia|ground pangolin]]
[[Category:Myrmecophagous mammals|Pangolin, Ground)]]
[[Category:Mammals of Botswana]]
[[Category:Mammals of Zimbabwe]]
[[Category:Fauna of East Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1832|ground pangolin]]
[[Category:Species that are or were threatened by habitat fragmentation]]
[[Category:Species that are or were threatened by human consumption]]