Temminck’s Pangolin

Temminck’s Pangolin

Temminck’s pangolins (also known as the cape pangolin, ground pangolin or steppe pangolin) can be found living across Central, East and Southern Africa.

Temminck’s pangolins are classed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN, threatened by human infrastructure, poaching and habitat loss. Found in low-lying regions, living in savannas and woodlands, they are the most widespread of the African pangolin species, ranging from southeastern Chad to South Africa.  

How to recognise a Temminck’s pangolin

Physical characteristics

Pangolins are unique among mammals as the only species covered in overlapping scales. Temminck’s pangolins are well adapted to myrmecophagous diet (ant and termite-based diet) with large digging claws and like other pangolins species, they have a cone shaped head and long, sticky tongues. In adult Temminck’s pangolins, their tongues can be 30-40cm long!

This species is medium-sized and stout, with a thick tail that is usually slightly shorter than the length of their body. Across their large range, there appears to be some variation in the size, with individuals in South Africa often smaller than those found in their eastern ranges. Similarly, the colour of Temminck’s pangolin scales differs across their range, from slate grey to dark brown and yellow-brown.

It is estimated that each Temminck’s pangolin between 340-420 individual scales. On their forelimbs, they have three long, sharp claws that can be 6cm long. Although they have five digits on both their fore-and hind limbs, on their forelimbs, their first and fifth claws are much smaller (around 3cm).

Unique traits

Temminck’s pangolin are the only pangolin species which is bipedal. When moving, they take most of their body weight on their hind legs, tucking their forelimbs toward their chest and lift their tail off the ground, using it as a counterbalance.

They are also the only pangolin species found living in southern Africa and can be differentiated from white-bellied and black-bellied pangolins by its fossorial behaviour. This means that it has adapted to digging and living primarily underground.

(c) Dreamstime

Where do Temminck’s pangolins live?

Temminck’s pangolins are found in 18 African countries, including Kenya, where Born Free work. They are the most widespread African pangolin species, although population numbers are unknown, and have been recorded from southeastern Chad, through much of East and southern African, into South Africa. This species even extends west to Angola and Namibia.

They live mainly in savanna and woodland environments, where the average annual rainfall is between 250mm – 1,400mm. Temminck’s pangolin has been found up living at altitudes up to 1,700m. Unlike the other three African pangolin species, they do not inhabit forests. They are not found in croplands or areas of human settlement but can occur widely in well-managed livestock farms where they are often protected from human persecution.

For Temminck’s pangolins, the most important habitat requirement is a plentiful supply of ant and termite species, along with the availability of suitable burrows or above-ground debris which they can use for shelter. They don’t dig their own burrows, instead using those dug by other animals.

Research has shown that Temminck’s pangolins have home ranges but the size of these varies widely depending on their environment and pangolin age.  In Zimbabwe, the home range size of some Temminck’s pangolins ranged from 0.2km2 to 23.4km2!

What do Temminck’s pangolins eat?

Temminck’s pangolins diet is made up of ants and termites. Using their long, sticky tongues, they are able to scoop up ants and termites. Studies have found that Temminck’s pangolins are selective, choosing the species of insects that they want to eat, rather than eating all available species.

They use their strong sense of smell to locate prey and when foraging, will travel with their nose to the ground, continuously sniffing. Using their strong front claws, they are able to tear open ant nests or scratch away material from termite mounds and then use their sticky tongue to extract ants and termites.

(c) US Fish & Wildlife Service

Temminck’s Pangolin Behaviour & Reproduction

Behaviour

Temminck’s pangolins are solitary, nocturnal animals that spend their nights foraging. When resting, Temminck’s pangolin often use other animal’s burrows, such as aardvarks, aardwolves or springhares. Juvenile Temminck’s pangolins appear to be less strictly nocturnal, sometimes active in the day or dusk.

When Temminck’s pangolins are threatened, they will either freeze, where they can become very well camouflaged or they can roll into a tight ball, their scales offering protection. When they are curled in a ball, it is impossible to prize them open, either by predators or humans. African lions, spotted hyenas and honey badgers are known to opportunistically predate on pangolins but they are a challenging prey!

They can also use their tail as a defence mechanism, moving it slowly across their balled-up body until a foreign object is detected (e.g. a hand or predator’s paw), which they will then swipe at with their tail. Their scales edges are sharp and work as an effective defence mechanism.

Reproduction

Females give birth to a single offspring after a gestation period of 105-140 days. Infants are born pink with soft scales, weighing around 340g. An infant will remain with their mother for around 3-6 months, with the amount of time mothers and infants spend together thought to vary depending on the region.

As with other pangolin species, the young pangolin rides on the mother’s tail as they move around. A mother will protectively curl around her infant or juvenile when threatened. When young pangolins are around 1 year old, they will begin to disperse away from their mother. Females are thought to give birth every second year, but more research is needed to better understand Temminck’s pangolin reproductive behaviour.