Manis culionensis de Elera 1915
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Pholidota
Manidae
Manis
Manis culionensis

description: 4.
Palawan Pangolin
Manis culionensis
French: Pangolin de Palawan / German: Palawan-Schuppentier / Spanish: Pangolin de Palawan
Other common names: Philippine Pangolin
Taxonomy. Pholidotus culionensis de Elera, 1915,
Culion Isand, Calamian Islands, Philippines.
Sometimes included in the subgenus Paramanis. Recently confirmed as a distinct species from the Sunda Pangolin (M. javanica) on the basis of discrete morphological characters. Recorded from 7000-5000 years ago from archeologicalsites on Palawan Island. Monotypic.
Distribution. Endemic to the Palawan faunal region, including Palawan, Culion, Busuanga, and Calauit Is. Introduced to Apulit I.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 45-54 cm, tail 39-50 cm; weight 2.5-8 kg. A mediumsized pangolin, with small, brownish to creamy orange-yellow scales. Morphology similar to M. javanica, but six main characters differ: 19-21 dorsal scale rows; smaller size of scales in nuchal, scapular, and post-scapular regions; slightly shorter ratio of head and body totail length; ratio of nasal bone to greatest skull length inferior to onethird; posterior region of palatine bone not ventrally inflated and showing short lateral walls; and posterior extension of zygomatic process short (not posterior to sphenopalatine foramen). One pair of mammae. Sexual dimorphism unknown. Head conical and rostrum relatively long and thick. Nose pad color dark brownish, contrasting with pale brownish skin. Auditory orifice with small ear pinna. Eyes small and iris dark. Relatively small scales cover the upper face and the whole body, except the belly and inner side of legs. Hairs whitish, very thin and relatively long (longer than 0-3 cm); quite densely imbedded all over the naked skin. Hairs project between scales. Scales approximately as long as wide. Scales on the distal part of the body twice as wide as those on the first post-scapular rows; scales uniformly colored, from brownish to creamy orangeyellow, both colors sometimes appearing on the same individual. Scales V-shaped, with smooth contour, even in juveniles. Tail length shorter than head and body length. On tail, medio-dorsal row of scales continuous to tip. Ventral part oftail has a narrow terminal skin pad, due to the absence of a median scale. Forelegs slightly shorter than hindlegs. Five short and curved claws on forefeet, with the third claw less than twice as long as the others; walks with wrist folded up, with claws perpendicular to ground. Five markedly curved claws on hindfeet, with third claw distinctly longer. Skull 6.9-5 cm long, V-shaped. 29-30 caudal vertebrae.
Habitat. [Lowland primary and secondary rainforests; can be found in habitats impacted by humans, including grassland/secondary rainforest mosaics, provided that logs or trees are available. Shows some affinity for fig trees (Ficus spp.), the latter providing both shelter and ant colonies attracted by their fruits.
Food and Feeding. Almost unknown. Probably similar (myrmecophagous) to M. javanica. Uses excellent olfaction to forage, and observed feeding on arboreal termite nests. Removes outer layer using its forefoot claws, and then digs into the nest, at the same time continuously protruding its tongue to catch prey. Visited nests show a round hole on one side from which the prey has been extracted; small nests can remain on the tree, whereas larger nests are found destroyed on the ground. In captivity, can consume the content of four medium-sized (c. 35 cm in diameter) nests in a night.
Breeding. Unknown. Young with mother reported to be first seen in August.
Activity patterns. Solitary, nocturnal, and probably semi-arboreal. A secretive species, very poorly known. Uses its well-developed sense of smell to orient itself, sometimes stopping to raise its head and sniff the air before choosing a direction. During climbing, tail is curled around trunks and branches to secure position and assist moving. When disturbed, makes a hissing noise and rolls up into a ball, in the typical defensive position of pangolins.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Unknown.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II (under M. javanica). The annual export quota is zero for specimens removed from the wild for trade. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List because they are expected to undergo a 30% population decline over the next ten years, given current trends of deforestation and hunting. Because the biology of the species is almost unknown,further research is needed to better characterize population status and major threats. Suspected to be moderately abundant, with partially localized distribution. Considered rare in southern Palawan. Although present in several protected areas of Palawan, and protected under a total ban on wildlife collection, local hunters report it to be declining. Weak law enforcement makesit a regularly poached species. Sold in bushmeat markets for its meat; skin and scales are said to be used against asthma. Trade for food and traditional medicine is mostly local, occurring within Palawan, but shipments from Palawan to Manila (Luzon Island.) and Sabah (Malaysia) have been reported. In southern Palawan, price of pangolin meat increased from US $ 1-50 to US $ 4-30 per kilogram between 2006 and 2008, reflecting the growing demand. There is a risk of a shift to an international trade with China following the ongoing, intense depletion of Sunda Pangolin (M. javanica) and the Short-tailed Pangolin (M. pentadactyla) involved by the market of Chinese traditional medicine.
Bibliography. Acosta-Lagrada (2009), Batin & Widmann (2008), Esselstyn et al. (2004), Feiler (1998), Gaubert & Antunes (2005), Heaney et al. (1998), Hoogstraal (1951), Lacerna & Widmann (1999), Lewis et al. (2008), Schoppe & Cruz (2009), Schultze (1914).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Manidae, pp. 82-103 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 99, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5720458