the long-tailed pangolin ( phataginus tetradactyla ) , also called the african black-bellied pangolin , or ipi , is an arboreal pangolin belonging to the family manidae , in the order pholidota .

the common names for this species stem from physical characteristics , such as the extremely long tail or the dark hairs that cover the underside of their bodies and limbs .

pangolin comes from the malay word pengguling , meaning “ something that rolls up ” .

long - tailed pangolin

the long - tailed pangolin’s total population is thought to be declining , but apparently not fast enough to be of significant concern .
some species , such as the long - tailed pangolin , have prehensile tails that help in climbing in trees and hanging from branches .
the long - tailed pangolin , manis tetradactyla , also called the black - bellied pangolin or ipi , is an arboreal pangolin native to the sub - saharan forests of africa . its common name is derived from its especially long tail
suited in an armor of beautifully colored scales , africa’s long - tailed pangolin ( uromanis tetradactyla ) is the smallest and most arboreal of all of the world’s eight pangolin species .
four pangolin species occur across asia : the indian pangolin , the chinese or formosan pangolin , the malayan or sunda pangolin , and the palawan pangolin . four species are found in africa south of the sahara desert : the cape or ground pangolin , the tree pangolin , the giant pangolin , and the long - tailed pangolin . the four asian pangolins are distinguished from the african species by the presence of bristles which emerge from between the scales .
this species is mainly solitary , except during mating season . long - tailed weasels can be seen during the day but are most active at night .
it is unknown how long pangolins can live in the wild , though pangolins have reportedly lived as long as twenty years in captivity .
the pangolin is a long - tailed , sticky - tongued tropical old world ( asia and africa ) mammal . most species feed at night , sleep during the day , and roll into an impenetrable ball when threatened .
the black - bellied pangolin , long - tailed pangolin is listed as least concern ( lr / lc ) , lowest risk . does not qualify for a more at risk category . widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category , on the iucn red list of threatened species
this species have long slender bodies ( a known trait of weasels ) , short legs , a small , narrow head with long whiskers , long bushy tails ( 50 % of their total body length ) . the males tend to be larger than females . the fur of the long - tailed weasel has a soft under fur covered by shiny guard hair . long - tailed weasels are cinnamon brown colored with white under parts . this fur is shed twice a year ( once in spring and once in fall ) . northern populations are white in the winter to camouflage against snow and brown in the summer .
long - tailed weasels are found in north , central , and northern south america . they prefer temperate and tropical habitats ranging from crop fields to wooded areas . this species is not typically found in deserts or dense forests . long - tailed weasels live in many shelters such as hollow logs , rock piles ; they even take over the burrows of their prey . long - tailed weasels are solitary animals and although the home range of a male may extend over multiple female’s home ranges , the home ranges of same sex individuals never overlap and they will aggressively defend their home range .
the diet of the long - tailed pangolin consists mostly of ants and termites . they make use of their long and sticky tongues to capture their prey , and they have no teeth . these animals find their food using their amazing sense of smell , which can sense termites and ants from hundreds of feet away . if the long - tailed pangolin is attacked by a predator , it will curl into a small , tight ball , make a hissing sound , shake its scales and emit a distinct , foul - smelling liquid . they can even roll away from a dangerous situation if they need to .
pangolins are nocturnal animals , using their well - developed sense of smell to find insects . the long - tailed pangolin ( manis tetradactyla ) is also active by day . pangolins spend most of the daytime sleeping , curled up into a ball ( mondadori 1988 ) .
( average 60 cm , or 24 inches ) . in spite of the long tail , this species is the smallest pangolin . [ 13 ]
pangolins have small heads and long , broad tails . they are toothless and have no external
giant ground pangolins are the largest of all eight species . one was found to weigh 33 kilograms ( 72 . 6 pounds ) — the largest pangolin ever recorded ! long - tailed pangolins are the smallest , weighing around 2 - 3 kg ( about 4 - 6 pounds ) .
as its name suggests , this toothless critter is known for its extremely long , prehensile tail .
the black - bellied pangolin is the smallest of all african pangolin species and spends most of its life in the trees .
the tail of the black - bellied pangolin can be as long as 60 centimetres and has a bare patch at the tip that helps it to grip tree branches .
some of the natural enemies of the long - tailed pangolin include leopards , hyenas and pythons . human beings are also thought of as a predator . while not much is known about the exact number of long - tailed pangolins in existence , the number of pangolins is declining in general . they are hunted for meat by many african tribes , their skin is used for boots and their scales are thought to have medicinal and ceremonial value . the destruction of the rainforest is another reason that their numbers declining , but their status is not of a large concern to conservationists at this time .
their extremely long tongues ( up to 16 inches in larger pangolins ) to eat them . [ 5 ]
pangolins have a long tail , short powerful limbs , and a conical head . they are native to the regions of southeast asia and are found in parts of africa . this reptile - like animal with large overlapping scales has often been spotted in the kafue national park , in dry woodland or scrub terrain . some pangolins live in trees but most are ground dwellers . ground dwelling pangolins have strong legs capable of digging into termite mounds for food . the arboreal pangolins have prehensile tails which they use both for balance and as a hook to hang from . arboreal pangolins roll up in a ball in a tree hollow at night to sleep . pangolins vary in size . the long - tailed pangolin is smallest , at about 3 feet ( 1 meter ) long and weighing 3 - 4 pounds ( 2 kg ) . the giant pangolin is almost 6 feet ( 2 meters ) long and weighs 70 pounds ( 32 kg ) . the giant pangolin ' s tongue is about 2 feet ( 61 cm ) long , and internally is anchored to the pangolin ' s hip bones .
in general , long - tailed pangolins are born between november and march . gestation takes about 120 to 150 days . the birth weight of baby pangolins ranges from 3 - 18 ounces ( 85 . 4 - 512 . 5 grams ) and usually only one baby is born at a time . young pangolins mature in two years .
the hunting of pangolins , coupled with deforestation , has led to a decrease in some species , such as the giant pangolins ( manis gigantea ) . four species of pangolin are listed as lower risk / near threatened : indian pangolin ( m . crassicaudata ) , malayan pangolin ( m . javanica ) , chinese pangolin ( m . pentadactyla ) , and ground pangolin ( m . temminckii ) . there are often sanctions regarding trade in pangolins and pangolin products ( atkins 2004 ) .
and available water . the giant pangolin does not inhabit high - altitude areas .
products of traditional chinese medicine made of pangolin . ( photo by traffic ) .
pangolin , or scaly anteater , is the common name for african and asian armored mammals comprising the order pholidota , characterized by a long and narrow snout , no teeth , a long tongue used to capture ants and termites , short and powerful limbs , a long tail , and a unique covering of large , overlapping body scales . there is only one extant family ( manidae ) and one genus ( manis ) of pangolins , comprising seven or eight species . there are also a number of extinct taxa .
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manis culionensis ) , is a pangolin species endemic to the palawan province of the philippines .
pangolins are similar in appearance to anteaters in that they have a long and tapered body shape and snout , a very long , worm - like tongue , short and powerful limbs , and no teeth . they likewise are similar in form to armadillos , which have short legs and armor - like jointed plates .
they do not have teeth and are unable to chew . instead , they have long sticky tongues that they use to catch the insects they feed on .
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there are a total of eight species of pangolin on our planet . four live in asia :
when threatened , the black - bellied pangolin squirts a foul - smelling substance from its anal glands .
there are currently only eight living species of pangolin , four in asia and four in sub - saharan africa . the chinese pangolin is distributed across southern china , southeast asia and into nepal and bangladesh , while the sunda pangolin’s range extends further south into indonesia , malaysia and singapore . the sunda pangolin is slightly larger than the chinese pangolin but they share many other similarities , including a preference for forested habitat and sleeping in burrows or tree hollows during the day before emerging at night to hunt for ants or termites .
eight different pangolin species can be found across asia and sub - saharan africa . poaching for illegal wildlife trade
also known as the three - cusped pangolin , it is the most common of the african forest pangolins .
the tree pangolin can walk on all fours or on its hind legs using its prehensile tail for balance .
with its strong and clawed forefeet . it just takes the pangolin four to five minutes to dig that deep .
sources : cota - larson , r . , “ 11 things you didn’t know about pangolins , ” project pangolin
the prehistoric pangolin , which walks on its hind legs due to the length and curvature of its impressive claws .
the pangolin ' s body is covered with large , flat , imbricated horny scales ; it somewhat resembles the new world armadillo in terms of its feeding habits and its employment of a curled up , hedgehog - like defensive posture . it has a long sticky tongue which it uses to gather termites and ants .
it’s believed that a single pangolin consumes more than 70 million insects per year . they mainly eat ants and termites .
probably the least known of all pangolin species , the black - bellied pangolin spends almost its entire life in the trees ( 1 ) , but will occasionally descend into pools and rivers , where it is a competent swimmer ( 6 ) . while most pangolins are nocturnal ( 5 ) , the black - bellied pangolin is also frequently active during the day , enabling it to forage without facing competition from the larger , tree - dwelling three - cusped pangolin ( phataginus tricuspis ) ( 4 ) . the black - bellied pangolin uses scent to locate ant nests in the trees , which it pulls apart using its large foreclaws , while its long , sticky tongue flicks in out of the nest’s passageways , snaring the ants and drawing them into its mouth . because it lacks teeth , the black - bellied pangolin swallows prey whole , and the muscular , horny coated walls of its stomach grind the food ( 5 ) .
there are eight different pangolin species , which vary in size from 12 inches ( 30 . 5 centimeters ) to 39 inches ( 99 cm ) long . they weigh from about 3 . 5 lbs . ( 1 . 6 kilograms ) to 73 lbs . ( 33 kg ) , according to the save pangolins organization .
pangolins inhabit diverse habitats , including rainforest , deciduous forest , grassland , steppes , open country , thick bush , and shrubby slopes , as long as they contain ants and termites ( atkins 2004 ) .
in this episode , we are talking with pangolin experts dr . chris shepherd and lisa hywood about asian and african pangolins .
is one of four species of pangolin which can be found in africa and the only one in southern and eastern africa .
the ground pangolin can grow to a length of about 1 metre , with the tail typically between 30 and 50 cm .
long - tailed weasels hunt by scent and sound . they make a quick attack by biting the base of the skull of their prey . feeding mostly on small rodents , this species will also hunt eastern cottontail rabbits , birds and reptiles . the females tend to eat more small rodents than males because the small body of the female can easily climb into the small burrow of a rodent while a larger male is more capable of taking down a larger rabbit . occasionally in the summer they will consume fruits and berries .
poor . the weight of the scales and skin make up about 20 percent of the pangolin ' s weight . [ 5 ]
the endangered chinese pangolin ( manis pentadactyla ) , native to central and southeast asia , is covered with scales made from keratin .
pangolins lack teeth and the ability to chew . instead , they tear open anthills or termite mounds with their powerful front claws and probe deep into them with their very long tongues . some species , such as the tree pangolin , use their strong tails to hang from tree branches and strip away bark from the trunk , exposing insect nests inside .
as this is likely the least known of all pangolin species , more research on its biology , ecology , and behavior is imperative .
one giant pangolin was found to weigh 33 kg ( 72 . 6 lbs ) . males are larger than females , with male body
pangolin limbs are stout and well adapted for digging . each paw has five toes , and their forefeet have three long , curved , claws used to demolish the nests of termites and ants and to dig nesting and sleeping burrows . pangolins shuffle on all four limbs , balancing on the outer edges of their forefeet and tucking their foreclaws underneath as they walk . they can run surprisingly fast , and will often rise on their hind limbs to sniff the air . pangolins are also capable swimmers , and while some pangolin species such as the african ground pangolin ( manis temmincki ) are completely terrestrial , others , such as the african tree pangolin ( manis tricuspis ) , are adept climbers , using their claws and semi - prehensile tails to grip bark and scale trees .
the chinese pangolin belongs to the burrowing family . it can dig up to 8 ft deep ( 2 . 5 meters ) in the ground
the african white - bellied pangolin is the most common pangolin in africa . now listed as vulnerable on the iucn ' s list of threatened species , the creature is thought to be declining in ghana and guinea , and close to extinction in rwanda . [ read full story ]
with small conical heads and jaws lacking teeth , pangolins have amazingly long , muscular , and sticky tongues that are perfect for reaching and lapping up ants and termites in deep cavities . pangolins have poor vision , so they locate termite and ant nests with their strong sense of smell . a pangolin’s tongue is attached near its pelvis and last pair of ribs , and when fully extended is longer than the animal’s head and body . at rest a pangolin’s tongue retracts into a sheath in its chest cavity . a pangolin’s stomach is muscular and has keratinous spines projecting into its interior . usually containing small stones , the stomach mashes and grinds prey in much the same manner as a bird’s gizzard .
pangolins are a group of mammals that rarely register in the public consciousness but they are by far the most heavily trafficked animals in the world . a pangolin most resembles an anteater with scales – in fact , it is the only group of mammals that has scales . these prehistoric looking creatures have long tongues that can stretch almost their entire body length – useful for catching ants – they have no teeth and they roll into a tight armoured ball when confronted . wildlife photographer suzi eszterhas , who spent time with the animals in a reserve in vietnam , said of the pangolin , ‘some animals you can’t help thinking just seem too innocent for this world . the pangolin is one of those creatures . ’
breeding season for long - tailed weasels occurs in the mid - summer . implantation is delayed until march . in late april - early may , about 280 days after mating , the female gives birth to about 6 young . after 14 days the fur of the young begins to thicken and the males begin to grow bigger than the female young . at 36 days old , the young are weaned and survive on food brought back by the mother . at about 56 days old , the young are able to kill their own prey . females reach sexual maturity by their first summer , while the males reach sexual maturity the following spring .
pangolin babies often ride on their mother ' s tail . when danger is near , the mother will ball herself up around her baby to shield it .
a pangolin ' s scales make up 15 percent of its weight , according to the african wildlife foundation . these animals have many different colors . they can be a light sandy color , dark brown , olive - brown , pale olive or yellowish - brown . [ pangolin photos : scaly mammals threatened with extinction ]
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pangolin are hunted and eaten in many parts of africa and it is one of the more popular types of bush meat . pangolins are also in great demand in china because their meat is considered a delicacy and some chinese believe pangolin scales reduce swelling , promote blood circulation , and help breast - feeding women produce milk .
) is a fascinating creature , looking a bit like a walking pinecone . these species are usually found in the trees of dense rainforests , from uganda to senegal and angola . their scales are dark brown or pale olive green and are distinct . they range in size from 30 to 40cm ( 11 . 8 - 15 . 7 inches ) in length and two to three kgs ( 4 . 4 to 6 . 6 lbs ) in weight . their very long tails are 60 to 70cm ( 23 . 6 - 27 . 6 inches ) in length . this species of pangolin has a life expectancy of 13 years in captivity . it is unknown how long they can live in the wild .
the black - bellied pangolin is classified as vulnerable ( vu ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) and listed on appendix ii of cites ( 3 ) .
the main threat to the black - bellied pangolin , and indeed all pangolins , is hunting , both for meat and for use in traditional medicine ( 5 ) . although the black - bellied pangolin is less frequently hunted than some other species , the growing demand for bushmeat may cause this species to become increasingly targeted . due to its large range , it has previously been assumed that the black - bellied pangolin has a relatively large population . nevertheless , with limited data collected from the field , it is possible that the black - bellied pangolin is actually rarer than reports suggest , and the effects of increased hunting pressure could have serious implications for its survival ( 1 ) .
unlike most pangolins , this species is frequently active during the day , which allows it to forage without competition from the larger three - cusped pangolin ( phataginus tricuspis ) .
pangolins , often called “scaly anteaters , ” are covered in tough , overlapping scales . these burrowing mammals eat ants and termites using an extraordinarily long , sticky tongue , and are able to quickly roll themselves up into a tight ball when threatened . eight different pangolin species can be found across asia and sub - saharan africa . poaching for illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss have made these incredible creatures one of the most endangered groups of mammals in the world .
pangolins are well equipped for self defense . the pangolin usually rolls up into a ball when threatened . pangolins can lash out with their razor sharp scales . pangolins have scent glands similar to those of the skunk which they can use to spray enemies . pangolins can amble along on all fours , but for speed they stand up on two feet using their long tail for support . they run at a speed of about 3 miles ( 5 km ) per hour . pangolins are endangered ( cites appendix ii or iii , depending on species ) because their skin makes attractive leather for boots , similar to snakeskin or armadillo boots . also , pangolins are eaten in some parts of the world . bill arkin from holo - spectra claims to have had pangolin soup while in thailand and nearly purchased a pangolin belt .
in response to the pangolin ' s plight , numerous campaigns have been launched to raise awareness , including the savepangolins organisation and an app , roll with the pangolins , which was endorsed by prince william in his role as president of united for wildlife . what ' s more , in 2012 sir david attenborough chose the sunda pangolin , a . . .
the pangolin is also called scaly anteater , any of the armored placental mammals of the order pholidota . pangolin , from the malayan meaning
rolling over ,
refers to this animal ' s habit of curling into a ball when threatened . about eight species of pangolins , usually considered to be of the genus manis , family manidae , are found in tropical asia .
pangolins are often called scaly anteaters , which is a very good description for them , even though they are not closely related to anteaters . like anteaters , pangolins have long snouts and even longer tongues that they use to slurp up ants and termites . their bodies are covered in scales that form a kind of armor .
despite its scaly appearance , this species is a mammal , not a reptile . its scales are actually made up of keratin , which account for about 20 percent of its weight . the pangolin has a small head and a long , broad tail . it has no external ears , but its hearing is quite good . it also has no teeth , and instead possesses a gizzard - like stomach that is specially adapted for grinding food . to assist the grinding , this scaly creature consumes small stones and sand .
it is there that uromanis tetradactyla ( sometimes referred to as the ‘black - belled pangolin’ ) spends the vast majority of its time in trees , feeding on ants , termites , and other invertebrates .
the name
pangolin
derives from the malay word pengguling (
something that rolls up
) . the order name , pholidota , means
the scaled animal
( atkins 2004 ) .
the black - bellied pangolin chiefly occupies moist tropical forest around rivers and swamps , although in nigeria it has been found in secondary forest and in areas of lowland rainforest converted to farmland ( 1 ) .
pangolins are found in a variety of habitats including tropical and flooded forests , thick brush , cleared and cultivated areas , and savannah grassland ; in general they occur where large numbers of ants and termites are found . asian pangolins in particular are threatened by loss of habitat due to expanding agriculture and other human uses . pangolins dig deep burrows for sleeping and nesting that contain circular chambers . large chambers have been discovered in terrestrial pangolin burrows that were big enough for a human to crawl inside and stand up . some pangolin species such as the malayan pangolin also sleep in the hollows and forks of trees and logs .
authenticated ( 11 / 03 / 2009 ) by chao , jung - tai , ph . d . chair of the former iucn pangolin specialist group and senior scientist , taiwan forestry research institute . jtchao @ urltoken
they remain in their burrows during the day and come out at night to hunt . it uses its keen sense of smell to locate termite and ant nests , digging the insects from mounds using its claws and eating them with its extremely long tongue ( which can be up to 41 centimeters ) . in some cases , the pangolin’s tongue is actually longer than their body . large salivary glands coat the tongue with gummy mucus to which ants and termites stick . when digging for insects , it can constrict their ears and nostrils to keep them out while feeding .
the young pangolin is about 15 centimeters long and weighs about 3 to 16 ounces at birth . its pale , soft scales begin to harden by the second day . the baby is folded in the mother ' s lap or rolled - up body . nursed for 3 to 4 months , it begins to eat termites at 1 month . at this time the infant begins to accompany the mother , perhaps riding on the base of her tail . if the mother senses danger , then the baby slips under her and is protected when she rolls up her body .
as the plight of the pangolin gathers more and more attention , organisations big and small are taking action . pangolins rescued from poachers are released back into the wild or placed in reserves for captive breeding . public education is another major hurdle – many people do not know that it is illegal to eat pangolins or fear them because of their appearance – and raising awareness is a focus of organisations like save pangolins and pangolin conservation . changing the mentality of an entire continent – enough to put an end to illegal poaching – is , however , a colossal task and unless more practical steps are taken immediately it may prove too late for the innocent pangolin .
there are no quantitative data available on densities or abundance . this is the least frequently recorded of all african pangolin species , possibly reflecting its occurrence in little - penetrated habitats or reflecting its rare nature and low densities .
these animals are insectivores , which means their diet consists completely of insects . pangolins don ' t have teeth . they use their long claws to open up ant and termite hills , then use their sticky tongue to slurp up insects and swallow them whole . like birds , pangolins swallow small stones . the stones are used to crush and digest food in the stomach .
female pangolins have a gestation period of five months and give birth to just one live baby . at birth , babies , called pangopups , are only about 6 inches ( 15 . 24 cm ) long and weigh 12 ounces ( 340 grams ) , according to the african wildlife foundation . their scales are pink and soft , but start to harden after a day .
despite the fact that scientific studies have proven that keratinous body parts of other animals ( e . g . rhino horns ) are void of any medicinal or curative properties , many continue to consume pangolin scales as a tcm remedy for a wide variety of health problems , such as reducing swelling , promoting blood circulation , and stimulating lactation in breast - feeding women . more recently , rumors likely spawned by chinese pangolin “ farming ” business ventures have falsely claimed pangolin - derived tcms can even cure cancer . as a result of the black market demand for these animals , an estimated 41 , 000 - 60 , 000 pangolins were plundered from the wild in 2011 alone .
the limbs of pangolins are short but powerful and are tipped with sharp , clawed digits ; the middle digit is the largest ( atkins 2004 ) . the front claws are large and useful for digging into termite mounds and ant hills . however , the front claws are so long that they are unsuited for walking , and so the animal walks with its fore paws curled over to protect them .
through its canines for conservation program , awf works with wildlife authorities to train and deploy sniffer dog teams to key airports , seaports and other wildlife trafficking hubs . dog - and - handler teams have intercepted pangolin scales across the continent on multiple occasions .
pangolin species vary in size from about 1 . 6kg ( ~ 3 . 5 lbs ) to a maximum of about 33kg ( ~ 73 lbs ) . they vary in color from light to yellowish brown through olive to dark brown . protective , overlapping scales cover most of their bodies . these scales are made from keratin — the same protein that forms human hair and finger nails . overlapping like artichoke leaves , the scales grow throughout the life of a pangolin just like hair ; scale edges are constantly filed down as pangolins dig burrows and tunnel through the soil in search of termites and ants . pangolin undersides do not have scales , and are covered with sparse fur . unlike african pangolins , asian pangolins also have thick bristles that emerge from between their scales .
habitat loss and degradation probably also pose significant threats to the species . regular oil spillages , especially in nigeria and other oil - producing countries , result in habitat degradation and may directly affect black - bellied pangolin populations ( d . soewu pers . comm . 2013 ) .
male and female pangolins are sexually dimorphic : the sexes differ in weight . in most species , males are 10 - 50 percent heavier than females , while indian pangolins can be up to 90 percent heavier . pangolins reach sexual maturity at two years , and most pangolins give birth to a single offspring , though two and three young have been reported in the asian species . gestation periods range from 65 - 70 days ( indian pangolin ) to 139 days ( cape and tree pangolins ) . when born , pangolins are about six inches long and weigh about 12 ounces ( . 75 lbs ) . their scales are soft and pale , and begin to harden by the second day . pangolin mothers nurture their young in nesting burrows . a mother will protectively roll around her baby when sleeping or if threatened . babies nurse for three to four months , but can eat termites and ants at one month . at that time the infant begins to accompany the mother outside of the burrow , riding on the base of her tail as she forages for insects ( pictured right ) .
research on inter - continental trade is urgently required , given the probably increasing magnitude of this threat following the precipitous decline in asian pangolin populations . this is driven by demand in asia , in particular china , and the growing economic ties between africa and china ( challender and hywood 2012 ) .
little is currently known about the black - bellied pangolin’s breeding behaviour . the young are generally born between november and march after a gestation period of about 140 days ( 1 ) . only a single offspring is produced , which is carried on the mother’s tail for around three months before weaning ( 4 ) .
pangolins live predominantly on a diet of ants and termites , which they may supplement with various other invertebrates including bee larvae , flies , worms , earthworms , and crickets . this specialist diet makes them extremely difficult to maintain in captivity—they often reject unfamiliar insect species or become ill when fed foreign food . wild pangolins locate insect nests using a well developed sense of smell . voraciously digging ants and termites from mounds , stumps , and fallen logs with their claws , they use their extremely long sticky tongues to capture and eat them .
this species occurs in the forested regions of west and central africa from sierra leone eastwards through south - eastern guinea , liberia , côte d’ivoire and southwest ghana , there being an apparent gap in distribution until west nigeria . its presence in nigeria is probably underestimated because of possible confusion with the white - bellied pangolin ( angelici
african wildlife foundation , along with partner organizations , creates public awareness campaigns , like the when the buying stops , the killing can too campaign—with celebrities like jackie chan , yao ming , and richard branson—to educate consumers of wildlife products about the damage being done to wildlife populations and the lack of any medicinal or magical properties in pangolin scales .
the scales are made from keratin , the same thing as human hair and fingernails . when threatened , pangolins roll up into a ball . if the other animal gets caught between the scales , it can get a nasty cut . pangolin is a name derived from the malay word
pengguling ,
which means
rolling over .
their tongues are quite amazing . when extended , their tongues are longer than their bodies and head combined . unlike humans and many other animals , the pangolin ' s tongue is connected not in its mouth , but at the bottom of its ribcage . when not in use , the tongue is stored in the animal ' s chest cavity .
these two species of pangolin have suffered more than any others due to their location in the world . their meat and blood is prized as a delicacy and their scales are used in traditional medicines , said to have aphrodisiac properties and to cure skin problems ( although they are made of keratin , the same structural protein in human hair and nails ) . a live pangolin can be sold on the black market for several hundred dollars , a price that continues to rise because of the bans on trade and the lack of enforcement . it is estimated that one million pangolins have been trafficked in the past decade , resulting in an 80 percent decline in their numbers and leaving them disturbingly close to extinction .
there are eight pangolin species . all pangolins belong to the genus manis in the family manidae , which is the only family within the order pholidota . although pangolins share similar characteristics with xenarthrans ( anteaters , armadillos , and sloths ) , they are in fact more closely related to the order carnivora ( cats , dogs , bears , etc . ) .
pangolins’ insatiable appetite for insects gives them an important role in their ecosystem : pest control . estimates indicate that one adult pangolin can consume more than 70 million insects annually . pangolins have special muscles that seal their nostrils and ears shut , protecting them from attacking insects . they also have special muscles in their mouths which prevent ants and termites from escaping after capture .
ith its armoured shell and peculiar gait , the humble pangolin looks more like an anteater prepped for medieval battle than an animal under threat . illegal trade in south asia , however , has now rendered the scaly mammals the most trafficked animal on earth , with some estimates claiming that sales now account for up to 20 per cent of the entire wildlife black market .
pangolins , also known as scaly anteaters , are unique creatures that are covered in hard , plate - like scales . they are insectivorous ( feeding on insects ) and are mainly nocturnal . their name , “pangolin” , is derived from the malay word “pengguling” , which loosely translates to “something that rolls up” . together , the eight species comprise their very own order : pholidota .
the black - bellied pangolin has a large range extending from sierra leone in west africa , eastwards through most of the countries bordering the gulf of guinea to cameroon , and possibly also the central african republic . the core of its range lies in the democratic republic of congo , gabon and congo , and may extend as far south as north - west angola ( 1 ) .
pangolins are hunted for their meat , which is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world , and for their scales , which are believed to have medicinal qualities . ( there is no evidence that they do , according to pangolins . org . ) world pangolin day is marked on the third saturday in february as an opportunity to raise awareness about pangolins and their plight .
the illicit pangolin trade has become extremely lucrative . according to environmental news network , pangolins were worth around us $ 10 per kilo in the early 1990s and had soared to us $ 175 per kg by 2009 . wildlife alliance ’s suwanna gauntlett explained in an interview with mongabay guest writer , laurel neme , that the going rate had reached a whopping us $ 200 per kilogram in 2011 .
according to the international union for the conservation of nature ( iucn ) , virtually no information is available on population levels of any species of pangolin . these species are rarely observed due to their secretive , solitary , and nocturnal habits , and there has been little research on their population densities . however , all species are thought to be in decline , with some more rapidly so than others — particularly the asian species .
these solitary mammals are nocturnal and highly secretive , thus it is difficult for scientists to study them in the wild , and many mysteries remain about their behavior and habits . some pangolin species such as the chinese pangolin sleep in underground burrows during the day , and others including african tree pangolins and malayan pangolins are known to sleep in trees . they emerge in the evening to forage for insects . pangolins are well adapted for digging : they dig burrows with their strong front legs and claws , using their tails and rear legs for support and balance . tunneling underground , they excavate the sides and roofs of passages by pushing up and from side to side with their tough scaled bodies . they use their front and hind feet to back accumulated soil toward the burrow entrance , and vigorously kick dirt out of the entrance up to a meter or more .
pangolin scales provide good defense against predators . when threatened , pangolins can quickly curl into a ball , protecting their defenseless undersides . they also deter predators by hissing and puffing , and lashing their sharp edged tails . pangolins , dependent on their strong sense of smell , identify their territories by scent marking with urine and secretions from a special gland , and by scattering feces . scientists suspect that these odors advertise dominance and sexual status , and may also help individuals recognize each other .
gestation is 120 - 150 days . african pangolin females usually give birth to a single offspring at a time , but the asiatic species can give birth from one to three ( mondadori 1988 ) . weight at birth is 80 to 450 grams ( 3 - 18 ounces ) , and the scales are initially soft . the young cling to the mother ' s tail as she moves about , although , in burrowing species , they remain in the burrow for the first 2 to 4 weeks of life . weaning takes place at around three months of age , and pangolins becomes sexually mature at two years ( dickman 1984 ) .
the black - bellied pangolin is listed on appendix ii of the convention on international trade in endangered species ( cites ) , which means that international trade in this species is strictly regulated ( 1 ) ( 3 ) . in addition , this species occurs in a number of protected areas , such as ituri forest reserve in the democratic republic of congo ( 1 ) . while these areas are vital for protecting threatened wildlife , many are faced with the continual problems of illegal logging , mining and encroachment of agriculture , and are continually in need of funding to develop and enforce the protective measures that they employ ( 1 ) ( 8 ) .
while pangolins species share many characteristics and habits , there are also differences . african tree pangolins ( manis tricuspis ) are arboreal tree climbers , while african ground pangolins ( manis temmincki ) are terrestrial ground dwellers . and some , including all three asian species , are opportunistic and can be found foraging both in trees and on the ground . indian pangolins found in sri lanka reportedly live in the rain forest canopy where fruit and flowers that attract ants occur , instead of at ground level where it is very dark and the food supply is limited . some pangolin species even have semi - prehensile tails—they can grasp and hang from branches with their tails , which aids them in climbing .
large - scale trafficking is driven by a belief in pangolins’ magical and curative properties and a demand for their meat . when mixed with bark from certain trees , the scales are thought to neutralize witchcraft and evil spirits . if buried near a man’s door they are said to give an interested woman power over him . the smoke from their scales is thought to improve cattle health , keep lions away , and cure ailments like nose - bleeds . although their scales are made of keratin—the same substance that makes up human hair and nails—they are in high demand in certain asian countries where the scales are believed to cure illnesses ranging from cancer to asthma , and their meat is considered a delicacy . in some areas , tribes believe a pangolin sighting indicates there will be a drought and the only way to prevent it is by killing the animal .
the physical appearance of pangolins is marked by large , hardened , overlapping , plate - like scales covering their skin , making them almost reptilian - looking . the scales , which are soft on newborn pangolins but harden as the animal matures , are made of keratin , the same material of which human fingernails and tetrapod claws are made . pangolins are distinct among mammals in terms of this unique adaptation of a covering of keratin body scales ( briggs and briggs 2005 ; atkins 2004 ) . ( the armor of armadillos is formed by plates of dermal bone covered in small , overlapping epidermal scales . ) the pangolin is often compared to a walking pine cone or globe artichoke . it can curl up into a ball when threatened , with its overlapping scales acting as armor and its face tucked under its tail . the scales are sharp - edged , providing extra defense .
they are the only species of pangolin that is not nocturnal : they are predominantly diurnal , eating during the day . they are very good climbers ( arboreal ) , able to easily scale vertical tree trunks . contact with the ground is rare . they climb with the front legs gripping the tree simultaneously , and with the body curved . the hind feet are then loosened up and are anchored close behind the front feet . with the hind feet and the tail giving the body necessary support , the front feet grip the bark further up . they are also able to hang by the tip of their tail . when hanging by its tail and wanting to resume climbing , they will often climb up their tail . they sleep in hollow trees , liana curtains , forks in trees , or epiphytes ( plants growing on trees ) , often rolled up in the shape of a ball . the animals often sun themselves while stretched out on a tree limb or branch .
references : 1 . urltoken 2 . urltoken 3 . duckworth , j . w . , steinmitz , r . , pattanavibool , a . , than zaw , do tuoc & newton , p . 2008 . manis pentadactyla . in : iucn 2011 . iucn red list of threatened species . version 2011 . 2 . < www . iucnredlist . org > . downloaded on 21 january 2012 . 4 . urltoken 5 . urltoken 6 . urltoken 7 . urltoken this picture was taken in similajau national park , sarawak , malaysia it has been used by others to illustrate different species of pangolin , others than javanica 8 . urltoken 9 . urltoken 10 . urltoken 11 . urltoken 12 . hoffmann , m . 2008 . uromanis tetradactyla . in : iucn 2011 . iucn red list of threatened species . version 2011 . 2 . < www . iucnredlist . org > . downloaded on 21 january 2012 . 13 . urltoken 14 . urltoken 15 . urltoken we had to be careful selecting the pictures , to ensure that they really pictured the right specimen . you are welcome to correct us if we are still mistaken .
launched in 2003 after we couldn ' t find a dictionary service that we liked , we ' ve occasionally updated dictionary . die . net , but not often enough to stay correct or current . after 11 years , it either needed a big rewrite or to be shut down , and sadly we just don ' t have the time to maintain it any more .
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gaudin , t . j . , emry , r . j . and wible , j . r . 2009 . the phylogeny of living and extinct pangolins ( mammalia , pholidota ) and associated taxa : a morphology based analysis . journal of mammalian evolution 16 : 235 - 305 .
included in manis by some authors ( with uromanis usually considered a subgenus ) and referred to uromanis by mckenna and bell ( 1997 ) . it is here assigned to the genus phataginus , following gaudin et al . ( 2009 ) and grubb et al . ( 1998 ) .
1999 , kingdon and hoffmann 2013 ) . the species then occurs eastwards through southern cameroon , and much of the congo basin forest block to the semliki valley ( and thus , just possibly , into uganda ) . its presence in cabinda ( angola ) is possible ( kingdon and hoffmann 2013 ) .
this species is hunted for its meat , which is either consumed or traded , and for its scales , which are used for cultural and ethno - medicinal purposes , including in traditional african medicine , muti or juju ( e . g . bräutigam et al . 1994 ) .
there is increasing evidence of intercontinental trade in this species . in june 2008 five specimens of phataginus tetradactyla originating from the central african republic were seized in paris ( chaber et al . 2010 ) .
this species is present in a number of protected areas ( e . g . ituri forest reserve , dzanga - sangha national park in the central african republic ) . while it is listed on appendix ii of cites , there is a need to develop and enforce protective legislation in many range states . research into the population status and trends of this little - known species and an assessment of its ability to withstand current levels of hunting pressure are needed .
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it was described by chambers in 1875 .

the larvae feed inside the seed capsules of ambrosia trifida .

gnorimoschema ambrosiaeella

gnorimoschema ambrosiaeella is a moth in the gelechiidae family . it was described by chambers in 1875 . it is found in north america , where it has been recorded from kentucky .
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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
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the forewings are white , suffused with ochreous yellow , and marbled with dark brown streaks and spots which are confluent , and especially noticeable about the middle of the costal half of the wing .
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brenthia elongata is a moth of the choreutidae family .

it is known from puerto rico and the virgin islands .

the length of the forewings is about 4 mm for males and 3.5-3.7 mm for females .

the larvae possibly feed on paullinia pinnata .

brenthia elongata

brenthia pavonacella , the peacock brenthia moth , is a moth of the choreutidae family .
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the crowned sandgrouse ( pterocles coronatus ) is a species of bird in the sandgrouse family , the pteroclididae from north africa and the middle east .

crowned sandgrouse

crowned sandgrouse ( pterocles coronatus ) is a species of bird in the pteroclidae family .
recording of mixed flocks flying by near drinking river . total count of 171 crowned and 404 spotted sandgrouse
ma zj , wang zj , tang hx . habitat use and selection by red‐crowned crane
habitat suitability map and protection gap for red - crowned cranes used by the final autologistic model .
drinking schedule of four sandgrouse species ( pterocles spp . ) in relation to sunrise and season
sandgrouse .
a dictionary of zoology . . retrieved july 09 , 2018 from urltoken urltoken
crowned sandgrouse ( pterocles coronatus ) the smallest of the four sandgrouse found in morocco , it is a resident species and breeds in lower desert and semi - desert regions . these birds are seen most years on the wingspan bird tours visit during march . to join our next trip please visit our website at urltoken
sandgrouse mostly feed on seed and are often seen in large feeding flocks with up to 100 birds .
drinking schedule of four sandgrouse species ( pterocles spp . ) in relation to sunrise and season | springerlink
johnsgard pa ( 1991 ) bustards , hemipodes and sandgrouse—birds of dry places . oxford univ press , uk
rijke am ( 1972 ) the water - holding mechanism of sandgrouse feathers . j exp biol 56 : 195–200
ward p ( 1972 ) the functional significance of mass drinking flights by sandgrouse pteroclididae . ibis 114 : 533–536
percentages of the total variance in red - crowned crane occurrence data explained by habitat and spatial variables at the first hierarchical level .
sandgrouse .
the columbia encyclopedia , 6th ed . . . retrieved july 09 , 2018 from urltoken urltoken
maclean gl ( 1976 ) adaptations of sandgrouse for life in arid lands . proc int ornithol congr 16 : 502–516
sandgrouse .
a dictionary of zoology . . encyclopedia . com . ( july 9 , 2018 ) . urltoken
cade tj , maclean gl ( 1976 ) transport of water by adult sandgrouse to their young . condor 69 : 323–343
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
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urltoken
title =
arkive video - victoria crowned - pigeon feeding
> < img src =
urltoken
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arkive video - victoria crowned - pigeon feeding
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arkive video - victoria crowned - pigeon feeding
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de juana e ( 1997 ) family pteroclidae ( sandgrouse ) . in : del hoyo j , elliott a , sargatal j ( eds ) handbook of the birds of the world vol 4 sandgrouse to cuckoos . lynx edicions , barcelona , pp 30–57
ferns pa , hinsley sa ( 1994 ) effects of raptors on the activity of sandgrouse . j raptor res 28 : 236–241
li zq . suitable distance to observe red - crowned cranes : a note on the observer effect . chinese birds . 2011 ; 2 : 147–151 .
sandgrouse .
the columbia encyclopedia , 6th ed . . . encyclopedia . com . ( july 9 , 2018 ) . urltoken
ferns pa , hinsley sa ( 1995 ) importance of topography in the selection of drinking sites by sandgrouse . funct ecol 9 : 371–375
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
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arkive species - victoria crowned - pigeon ( goura victoria )
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arkive species - victoria crowned - pigeon ( goura victoria )
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su ly , zou hf . status , threats and conservation needs for the continental population of the red - crowned crane . chinese birds . 2012 ; 3 : 147–164 .
cao mc , liu gh . habitat suitability change of red - crowned crane in yellow river delta nature reserve . journal of forestry research . 2008 ; 19 : 141–147 .
red : suitable habitat for the red - crowned crane in the core zone of the yrdnr . green : suitable habitat for the red - crowned crane outside the core zone of the yrdnr . blue : yellow river in the yrdnr . light gray : experimental zones of the yrdnr . gray : buffer zones of the yrdnr . dark gray : core zones of the yrdnr .
the most obvious vocalizations made by sandgrouse are the contact calls given in flight , especially when they are on their way to or from water . a strange case is the loud whistle of pallas ' s sandgrouse , which is not vocal in origin at all , but is produced in flight by the narrow , curiously . . .
shu y , hu ym , leng wf , zhu sy , shan k . habitat selection of red - crowned crane in yellow river delta . chinese journal of ecology . 2006 ; 8 : 954–958 .
thomas dh , maclean gl ( 1981 ) comparison of physiological and behavioural thermoregulation and osmoregulation in two sympatric sandgrouse species ( aves : pteroclididae ) . j arid environ 4 : 335–358
not globally threatened . arabian population recently estimated at c . 6000 pairs . widespread and fairly common as a rule : frequent in algeria , where is commonest sandgrouse in . . .
sandgrouse have compact bodies , but small , pigeon - like heads and necks . the different species range in length from 24 – 40 cm and weigh from 150 - 500 g .
malan g , little rm , crowe tm ( 1994 ) temporal and spatial patterns of abundance and breeding activity of namaqua sandgrouse in south africa . s afr j zool 29 : 162–167
thomas dh , robin ap ( 1977 ) comparative studies of thermoregulatory and osmoregulatory behaviour and physiology of five species of sandgrouse ( aves : pteroclididae ) in morocco . j zool lond 183 : 229–249
de juana , e . & kirwan , g . m . ( 2018 ) . crowned sandgrouse ( pterocles coronatus ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . and sargatal , j . ( 1997 ) handbook of the birds of the world , volume 4 - sandgrouse to cuckoos . lynx edicions , barcelona .
all that noise is taking place out of nowhere in the negev , in a wadi that you never visited before , and hardly even heard its name , so remote that no birder ever goes there , where dozens temminck ' s larks are preparing for breeding too and the males chasing each other… an unexpected dancing houbara bustard… a pair of hoopoe larks… thick - billed… bar - tailed… crowned sandgrouse… all playing their roll in that perfect theater set .
zou hf , wu qm , jiao wy . comparison of feeding habitat selection between semi - domestic and wild red - crowned crane during the breeding period in zhalong nature reserve . journal of northeast forestry university . 2007 ; 35 : 56–59 .
wang h , gao j , ren ll , kong y , li h , li l . assessment of the red - crowned crane habitat in the yellow river delta nature reserve , east china . regional environmental change . 2013 ; 13 : 115–123 .
liu cy , jiang hx , zhang sq , li cr , hou yq , qian fw . multi - scale analysis to uncover habitat use of red - crowned cranes : implications for conservation . current zoology . 2013 ; 59 : 604–617 . pmid : 23973623
li dl , ding yq , yuan y , lloyd h , zhang zw . female tidal mudflat crabs represent a critical food resource for migratory red - crowned cranes in the yellow river delta , china . bird conservation international . 2014 ; 24 : 416–428 .
according to the final autologistic model , rmp , stp and autocovariate variables were significant in the model . the coefficients of the variables indicated that rdd was negatively associated with red - crowned crane occurrence while the other four variables were positively associated ( table 4 ) .
sandgrouse is published by osme and contains papers and short notes on the ornithology of the osme region , provides bird and conservation news from the region and a comprehensive round up of bird sightings in the middle east , the caucasus and central asia .
' absence ' and ' presence ' indicate the absence and presence sampling points of red - crowned cranes . blue : yellow river in the yrdnr . light gray : experimental zones of the yrdnr . light green : buffer zones of the yrdnr . dark green : core zones of the yrdnr .
benitez - lopez a , vinuela j , hervas i , suarez f , garcia jt . modelling sandgrouse ( pterocles spp . ) distributions and large - scale habitat requirements in spain : implications for conservation . environmental conservation . 2014 ; 41 : 132–143 .
citation : cao m , xu h , le z , zhu m , cao y ( 2015 ) a multi - scale approach to investigating the red - crowned crane–habitat relationship in the yellow river delta nature reserve , china : implications for conservation . plos one 10 ( 6 ) : e0129833 . urltoken
the sandgrouse are distributed across northern , southern and eastern africa as well as madagascar ; the middle east , india through to central asia ; and the iberian peninsula ; where they are restricted to treeless open areas , such as plains and semi - deserts .
percentages of the total variance in red - crowned crane occurrence data explained by plot , patch , and landscape variables at the second hierarchical level ; a , b , c are unique effects of plot , patch and landscape variables , respectively ; d , e , f , g are fractions indicating their combined effects .
sandgrouse are gregarious birds , as their seed - eating habits might lead one to suppose . flock size differs according to the species , geographical location and season of the year . for some species , observations mainly concern single pairs , but normally they refer to . . .
the position of the sandgrouse is amongst the most heavily debated questions in avian macrosystematics . in external morphology , the short bill and short legs give them an aspect reminiscent of partridges and grouse . like the latter , they show feathered tarsi , whence the english name “ . . .
we used a binomial logistic regression model to relate red - crowned crane occurrence to the selected four landscape variables . because spatial autocorrelation was found in both the response variable and in the residuals of our model’s data set , we built an autologistic model by including an autocovariate variable in the logistic regression model , following augustin et al . [
vegetation coverage ( 41 . 84 % ) at the plot scale was responsible for the largest negative independent contributions of the plot factors to the occupancy of red - crowned cranes , whereas the other four vegetation variables were responsible for significantly lower positive independent contributions . water depth was the only plot variable for which the independent effects did not reach significance ( table 2 ) . at the patch scale , the independent contributions of area ( 63 . 58 % ) and shape ( 19 . 32 % ) were statistically significant and notably higher than those of the other two patch variables ( econ and enn ) . all patch factors exhibited negative independent effects on red - crowned crane occurrence ( table 2 ) . the independent effects of all landscape - level factors were statistically significant . among the landscape factors , stp ( 63 . 07 % ) had the largest positive independent explanatory power . rdd was the only landscape factor that showed a negative independent effect on the red - crowned crane occurrence data ( table 2 ) .
in overall structure , the different species of sandgrouse are rather similar . the extent of variation in size and weight is relatively small , while likewise there is only limited sexual difference in these aspects , males being slightly larger . total length generally varies from about 24 cm to . . .
not much is known about densities or population sizes in sandgrouse . there appear to be substantial differences among the species , but the habits of each one , whether diurnal or crepuscular , solitary or gregarious , sedentary or nomadic , must have some influence on the estimated figures quoted . . .
in comparison with the cases of many other bird groups , the degree of contact between sandgrouse and man is fairly limited , largely because of the sparseness of human populations in most arid regions . an offshoot of this is that the birds have hardly any impact on human economy anywhere , . . .
one of the key aspects of the biology and ecology of the sandgrouse is their adaptation to seed - eating , which they share with other groups of birds that inhabit arid environments . though information on this subject is rather scanty , seeds seem to form the basis of their diet throughout the . . .
little is known about the migratory movements of sandgrouse , particularly because they are not often ringed . most of the species appear to be sedentary , or perhaps with a tendency to effect nomadic movements , but in parts of asia that are subject to very severe winters , the populations of the . . .
on the whole , sandgrouse are typical inhabitants of arid regions , for which they show all kinds of obvious adaptations . in the deserts of the old world they are among the most characteristic and apparently successful forms of animal life . however , not all of the species , in fact only a . . .
a brief summary of the breeding biology of sandgrouse could be made as follows : they are monogamous ; they breed in isolated pairs or loose colonies ; they nest on the ground ; their clutches consist of three eggs ; these are incubated by the female during the day and by the male at night ; the . . .
that’s just what we do , parking beside a dirt track and walking up a dry , rocky creek bed until we find an area with shallow pools . while ismael wanders away to make calls on his mobile phone , i find a somewhat hidden spot behind a shrub and wait . and wait . only when dusk has deepened do the sandgrouse begin arriving , landing near the banks of the wadi and then cautiously walking down to the water . although i can make out the shapes , it’s too dark to see many details of their colors and patterns . still , they’re alive , and the first sandgrouse i’ve encountered since a pair flew overhead along a river in madagascar more than a decade earlier .
sandgrouse are monogamous ( form life - long pair bonds ) . they make their nest on a slight depression in the ground . the average clutch consists of 2 eggs , occasionally up to 4 . the male and female share the incubation duties ; with the male incubating during the night and early mornings , and the female taking over during the day .
common socotra birds new to me include desert wheatear , black - crowned sparrow - lark , the very attractive cinnamon - breasted bunting , and the glossy - black , long - tailed somali starling . my first socotra endemic is , not surprisingly , the most common of the island specialties : socotra sparrow , a passer that flocks and chatters and looks like a house sparrow , though it has more chestnut in its plumage .
de juana , e . ( 2018 ) . sandgrouse ( pteroclidae ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
we used hierarchical partitioning to determine the independent contribution of habitat variables at each scale to the red - crowned crane occurrence data [ 33 ] . the statistical significance of the independent effects of each variable was tested using a 1000 - randomization procedure [ 34 ] . the result of each significance test was expressed as a z - score . a z - score greater than or equal to 1 . 65 was considered statistically significant at p < 0 . 05 . because hierarchical partitioning requires models with no more than 12 predictor variables , we used plot , patch and landscape variables separately to conduct hierarchical partitioning . we conducted this analysis with the ‘hier . part’ package implemented in r 2 . 15 software [ 32 , 35 ] . because hierarchical partitioning did not identify whether predictor variables have a positive or negative relationship with red - crowned crane occurrence , we adopted the final forward stepwise regression results in the variable - selection approach to interpret the results .
therefore , we propose strengthening the protection of the red - crowned crane in three ways . first , managers should strengthen the restoration of degraded wetlands , especially in the northern part of the reserve ; second , the functional zoning map and re - division of the core zone should be adjusted in the near future based on suitable crane habitat ; and third , human disturbance should be strictly managed and effective measures implemented to minimize the negative effects of oil exploitation and road development in the yrdnr .
a few days later i get a great up - close look at another wanted bird : lichtenstein’s sandgrouse . unfortunately , it’s a road - kill female along the highway . ismael and i stop to admire the beautiful plumage , light brown with varied fine barring . “yes , ” ismael tells me , “i know where we can look for them . we must go to a wadi at dusk , when they fly in to drink . ”
de juana , e . , bonan , a . & boesman , p . ( 2018 ) . double - banded sandgrouse ( pterocles bicinctus ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
our model also showed that there was a large protection gap for red - crowned cranes in the yrdnr accounting for 69 . 51 % of the total suitable habitat . almost all of the suitable crane habitat falls outside the core zone in the northern part and is mainly distributed in the experimental zone . this condition may reflect the fact that the functional zoning map of the yrdnr represents a trade - off between wetland habitat protection and oil field development , which has resulted in a number of crane habitats being distributed within oil - producing areas [ 25 ] .
at the second hierarchical level , landscape - level factors had both the largest total effect ( 45 . 13 % , including joint and independent effects ) and the largest independent effect on the red - crowned crane occurrence data ( 17 . 42 % ) ( excluding spatial effects ) ( fig 3 ) . patch variables explained the least amount of the total ( 7 . 76 % ) and independent ( 4 . 20 % ) variation in the crane occurrence data ( fig 3 ) . in addition , the confounded variation between plot and landscape variables ( 20 . 57 % ) explained the largest proportion of the crane occurrence data ( fig 3 ) .
the habitat suitability map showed that the suitable habitat for red - crowned cranes covered more than 26 % of the reserve area ( table 5 ) . most ( 85 % ) of this suitable habitat area is located in the southern part of the reserve and along the two sides of the yellow river estuary ( fig 4 ) . the area _ mean indicated that the southern part of the reserve had higher habitat quality than the northern part ( table 5 ) . the gap analysis showed that the protection gap area totaled 20 , 455 ha ( northern part : 4233 ha ; southern part : 16 , 222 ha ) , accounting for 69 . 51 % of the total suitable habitat ( table 5 ) .
in the past , sometimes included in genus eremialector . recent study # r suggests that this species is part of a clade that contains also p . gutturalis and p . personatus ; or , alternatively , that all three may form a group along with the two syrrhaptes species , p . orientalis , p . namaqua and p . exustus , and possibly including also p . alchata and p . burchelli ; further study needed . race ladas , supposedly with less black above , greyer breast and weaker wing markings than atratus , sometimes subsumed within latter # r . five subspecies recognized .
m . h . c . lichtenstein , 1823 – sahara desert from s morocco and western sahara e to nc sudan and red sea .
r . meinertzhagen , 1928 – sinai ( ne egypt ) and neighbouring areas of israel and jordan .
e . j . o . hartert , 1902 – s arabia ( except interior oman ) and s iran e to sw afghanistan and sw pakistan ( baluchistan ) .
27–30 cm ; 240–300 g ; wingspan 52–63 cm . short , but pointed central rectrices ; lacks bands or patches on undersides ; in flight , dark remiges contrast with . . .
gives soft
kla kla kla
or staccato but far - carrying
cha - chagarra
, with a . . .
desert and semi - desert , including the very hottest and driest areas ; prefers stony over sandy . . .
feeds mainly on seeds , often small and hard ones ; also takes shoots . in sudan , favours
season mainly apr–jul in nw africa ( though unfledged young seen as late as end of sept in morocco ) , from mar in chad and oman , and . . .
sedentary and nomadic . in ne morocco formerly occurred only in oct–mar , but small numbers . . .
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welcome to itis , the integrated taxonomic information system ! here you will find authoritative taxonomic information on plants , animals , fungi , and microbes of north america and the world . we are a
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cramp , s . and simmons , k . e . l . ( eds ) . 1977 - 1994 . handbook of the birds of europe , the middle east and africa . the birds of the western palearctic . oxford university press , oxford .
justification : this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population trend appears to be stable , and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
the global population size has not been quantified , but the species is described as widespread and common in most parts of its range , although uncommon in northern west africa and common to abundant in algeria ( madge and mcgowan 2002 ) . trend justification : the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats .
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ioc world bird list , master list v2 . 9 , website ( version 2 . 9 )
zoonomen - zoological nomenclature resource , 2010 . 06 . 27 , website ( version 27 - jun - 10 )
zoonomen - zoological nomenclature resource
maintained by alan p . peterson at urltoken
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
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arthur grosset , behnam , lars petersson , saidmrigua , laurent demongin , fran trabalon , lior kislev , paul van giersbergen , carlos n . g . bocos , thomas pleschke .
this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population trend appears to be stable , and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : pterocles coronatus . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .
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in the past , sometimes included in genus eremialector . affinities uncertain . recent study # r suggests that this species may form a clade with p . decoratus , p . quadricinctus , p . lichtensteinii and p . indicus . formerly considered conspecific with last two of those . proposed races chobiensis ( n namibia and n botswana ) and elizabethae ( w namibia ) included in nominate . four subspecies recognized .
( benson , 1947 ) – s & e zambia , s malawi , w & c mozambique and n zimbabwe .
temminck , 1815 – namibia , botswana and nw south africa ( n northern cape province ) .
e . j . o . hartert , 1908 – e botswana and n & ne south africa ( s to e northern cape and mpumalanga ) .
25 cm ; male c . 215–250 g , female c . 210–280 g . among the small sandgrouse species of rounded tail and black and white design on forehead of males ( subgenus . . .
primary call a complex phrase of mellow over - slurred notes , “pup…pup…kwe - kwee - ko - kwe - kwe - kweh - whew . . .
seeds . mostly inactive by day , usually feeds during early morning and late afternoon , and drinks at night .
breeds in winter dry season , apr–oct throughout range , mainly may and oct in namibia , may–aug in botswana , jul–aug in . . .
reputed as sedentary . however , at borakalalo np , north west province , south africa , mainly present . . .
not globally threatened . widespread and fairly common to common throughout range . in c transvaal bushveld formerly quite common but now only rare vagrant . during breeding . . .
ioc world bird list ( v7 . 1 ) , gill , f and d donsker ( eds ) . 2017 .
they have long pointed wings and short legs that are feathered down to the toes , and members of the genus syrrhaptes also have feathered toes .
the young hatch after about 20 - 25 days ; and are able soon able to leave the nest .
they are able to feed themselves from the day they hatch , but have to learn foraging skills from their parents for several months .
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throughout history , crows , ravens and other black birds were feared as symbols of evil or death . …
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this gregarious pigeon forages on the forest floor in groups of two to ten individuals , and roosts in shrubs and trees at night ( 2 ) ( 4 ) . diet consists of fallen fruit , berries and seeds ( 4 ) , as well as the occasional snail ( 6 ) .
found on the island and surrounding isles of new guinea , which is divided up into west irian jaya and papua ( formerly irian jaya ) in the west , which belong to indonesia , and papua new guinea in the east ( 1 ) ( 6 ) . the species occurs on biak and yapen islands , indonesia , and across northern new guinea from geelvink bay , papua ( indonesia ) , to astrolabe bay and an isolated area around collingwood bay in easternmost papua new guinea ( 2 ) ( 3 ) .
occupies swamp and sago palm forests , as well as drier forests , usually in the extreme lowlands , but sometimes to 600 m above sea level ( 4 ) .
classified as vulnerable ( vu a2bcd + 3bcd ) on the iucn red list 2004 ( 1 ) and listed on appendix ii of cites ( 3 ) . two subspecies are recognised : g . v . victoria and g . v . beccarii ( 4 ) .
this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : arkive @ urltoken
gregarious tending to form a group with others of the same species by habitually living or moving in flocks or herds rather than alone . monogamous mating with a single partner .
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cover photo : cory’s shearwater calonectris diomedea eilat , israel , 30 april 2010 . © amir ben dov
the birds of wadi rima : a permanently flowing mountain wadi in western yemen revisited after 20 years .
distribution , habitat and differentiation of the poorly - known black morph of mourning wheatear oenanthe lugens lugens in jordan .
new important bird areas in lebanon—a research and community conservation project march 2005–february 2008 .
first confirmed breeding record of little ringed plover charadrius dubius for lebanon , 2009 .
ferruginous duck aythya nyroca , a new breeding species for egypt in a temporary artificial wetland near aswan .
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uncommon visitor year round to med . coast ( diomedea ) and gulf of aqaba ( borealis )
uncommon summer visitor ( apr - aug ) to gulf of aqaba , rare off med . coast
fairly common visitor ( aug - apr ) to med . coast , vagrant to gulf of aqaba
locally common summer visitor ( feb - jun ) in n and c . seen on migration throughout the country
uncommon and threatened summer visitor , golan , judean desert and negev . common on migration
common summer visitor ( mar - aug ) to n and c . common on migration
large numbers on migration ( apr , oct ) , mainly in n and c . rare in winter
uncommon winter visitor ( nov - mar ) , mainly in n . rare on migration
common on migration ( oct - nov , feb - mar ) , mainly in s . rare in winter
very rare visitor mainly to rift valley and med . coast , resident at yeroham lake
very rare migrant and winter visitor , mainly to med . coast and gulf of aqaba
small breeding population on islands of n med . coast and in tel aviv , uncommon migrant and winter visitor elsewhere
common migrant and winter visitor ( nov - apr ) mainly to med . coast and gulf of aqaba
common migrant , summer and winter visitor mainly to med . coast and gulf of aqaba
rare summer visitor ( may - sep ) to gulf of aqaba , very rare visitor to med . coast
common migrant med . coast and gulf of aqaba , uncommon summer visitor to n med . coast and hula valley
common migrant med . coast and gulf of aqaba , rare summer visitor to n med . coast and hula valley
rare non - breeding summer visitor to gulf of aqaba ( mar - sep ) , very rare visitor to med . coast
rare migrant and visitor year round to gulf of aqaba , very rare in med .
locally common winter visitor , breeds on mt . hermon and locally in n and c
very rare winter visitor , mainly on mt . arbel ( dec - feb )
uncommon migrant in s , uncommon summer visitor to mt . hermon and locally in c and s
common on migration , rare winter visitor in s , breeds on mt . hermon
common summer visitor to mt . hermon , uncommon and local winter visitor in s
kari pihlaviita marked the finnish common name
kruunuhietakyyhky
from
pterocles coronatus lichtenstein 1823
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data availability : gps data represent the habitat of an endangered species and cannot be publicly shared . data may be requested from the corresponding author .
funding : this study was funded by the national natural science foundation of china ( no . 41101424 and 31461143033 ) and the jiangsu province natural science foundation ( no . bk2011083 ) .
random absence points ( 70 ) were recorded for locations where cranes were not detected during at least two surveys . to maximize the probability of absence , we sampled each random point at a distance at least 3 km from the nearest presence site , as the cranes’ maximum movement distance is approximately 3 km [ 29 ] .
we extracted maps of vegetation , water and human disturbance from remote - sensing images within the yrdnr . we used a tm image and spot - 5 image in this study . the tm image was from october 2 , 2006 , and the spot - 5 image ( spatial resolution 2 . 5 m ) was from september 7 , 2005 .
we combined supervised classifications , unsupervised classifications and visual interpretations to generate a vegetation map using the rectified spot - 5 remote - sensing image . the main vegetation types included woodland , chinese tamarisk shrub , reed meadow , reed marsh , seepweed tidal flat , chinese tamarisk - seepweed tidal flat , bare tidal flat , salt pan , shrimp pond , deep - water area and farmland .
we conducted supervised and unsupervised classifications to obtain a water - resources map of the yrdnr using the tm 5 / 7 - band image , which is very sensitive to water features . we combined the spot - 5 image with 1 : 50 , 000 topographic maps to extract roads , oil wells and other human disturbance factors .
we used fragstats 4 . 0 to extract patch - and landscape - level data from the vegetation , water and human disturbance maps based on 138 sampling points [ 30 ] .
the patch - level data set was constructed with a set of five variables that were related to the structure of the habitat patch in which each sampling point was located . patch variables were obtained from the vegetation map using fragstats analysis and consisted of patch area ( area ) , shape index ( shape ) , core area ( core ) , edge contrast index ( econ ) , and euclidean nearest - neighbor distance ( enn ) .
the landscape - level data set included landscape composition and configuration metrics at twelve spatial scales . we used the moving - window function in fragstats 4 . 0 to calculate the composition and configuration metrics for each sample point . fourteen configuration metrics and composition indices for each vegetation type , water source , road density , and oil - well density were generated at each of the twelve spatial scales by shifting the moving - window size ( 10 , 50 , 100 , 200 , 350 , 500 , 750 , 1000 , 1250 , 1500 , 1750 , and 2000 ha ) .
the spatial data set consisted of seven spatial variables constructed from the xy coordinates of each plot site . first , the xy coordinates of the plot sites were centered on their means [ 31 ] . next , five higher and cross - product terms were calculated ( xy , x 2 , y 2 , x 2 y , y 2 x ) on the xy coordinates . finally , each variable was divided by its standard deviation .
for the landscape - scale analysis , we first performed univariate logistic models for each metric at the twelve spatial scales to select the scale that explained the greatest deviance in the twelve models . second , we performed forward stepwise regression on the selected scales of all the landscape metrics . third , the remaining landscape variables were entered into the same screening procedure at the plot , patch and spatial scales . we finally obtained four landscape metrics : the percentage of seepweed tidal flat ( stp ) at the 50 - ha scale , the percentage of tamarisk - seepweed tidal flat ( tstp ) at the 10 - ha scale , the percentage of reed marsh ( rmp ) at the 10 - ha scale , and road density ( rdd ) at the 100 - ha scale ( table 1 ) .
( a ) the variance explained by habitat variables ; ( b ) the variance explained by spatial variables ; and ( c ) the variance explained by combination of habitat and spatial variables .
] . the autocovariate term allowed us to measure the spatial autocorrelation in the response variable . we used the ‘spdep’ package in r 2 . 15 software to calculate autocovariates at neighborhood sizes from 0 to 20 km at 2 - km intervals [
represents the response variable . the model’s aic value was used to identify the neighborhood size that produced the best autologistic model .
a 10 - fold cross - validation was applied to test the model’s accuracy . we used the ‘presenceabsence’ package in r 2 . 15 software to evaluate the discrimination ability of the final and cross - validated models by estimating the sensitivity , specificity , correct classification rate and cohen’s kappa [ 32 , 38 – 39 ] . the classification thresholds were established by maximizing the kappa values . we also calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ( roc , auc ) , which is a threshold - independent measure [ 40 ] .
at the first hierarchical level , spatial and habitat variables in total explained 81 . 93 % of the variation in the occurrence data . the independent effect of habitat variables ( 54 . 37 % ) was significantly larger than that of the spatial variables ( 3 . 74 % ) and the joint effect of spatial and habitat variables ( 23 . 82 % ) ( fig 2 ) .
the final autologistic model had a neighborhood size of 8 km . the aic value of the autologistic model ( 43 . 403 ) was lower than that of the logistic model ( 68 . 525 ) , but the r 2 ( 0 . 836 ) exhibited the opposite trend ( table 3 ) , which suggests that the autologistic model has a better fit than the logistic model .
correct classification rate ( ccr ) , sensitivity , specificity , kappa , and auc for the final logistic model and autologistic model with 10 - fold cross - validation ( mean values with range in parentheses ) .
variable parameters for the final autologistic model with a neighborhood size of 8 km .
the model accuracy results showed that the logistic and autologistic models had good predictive capacity ( ccr > 0 . 87 , kappa value > 0 . 7 , auc value > 0 . 97 ) but that the autologistic model was better than the logistic model ( table 3 ) .
the management bureau of the yellow river delta nature reserve granted permission to undertake this research . we thank kai shan , song yugui , liu yueliang , and zhu shuyu for their help and support with fieldwork . we also thank dr . huang chong , liu qingsheng , li donglai , cui peng , zhou daqing , song chuangye , zhang hailong and fan xiaomei for their comments on the manuscript .
conceived and designed the experiments : mcc hgx zfl . performed the experiments : mcc mcz zfl . analyzed the data : mcc mcz zfl yc . contributed reagents / materials / analysis tools : mcc hgx zfl . wrote the paper : mcc hgx zfl mcz yc .
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