Pangolin
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Context: Odisha radio-tags rescued Indian pangolin in an attempt to standardise the rehabilitation protocol for the animal in the State.
More about news:
- After Madhya Pradesh, Odisha is the second State in the country to release a radio-tagged Indian pangolin into the wild.
About Pangolins:
- Pangolins, despite being listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 continue to be the world’s most trafficked mammal.
- The Indian pangolin is the largest among eight pangolin species.
- The nocturnal animal lives in burrows and feed on ants and termites.
- It practices
- Volvation is a defensive behavior in certain animals, in which the animal rolls its own body into a ball, presenting only the hardest parts of its integument, or its spines to predators.
Pangolins in India
- Both Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.
- Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11-13 rows of scales on the back.
- A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin.
Habitat
Indian Pangolin
- Widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East.
- The species is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Chinese Pangolin
- Found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China.
Threats to Pangolins in India:
- Hunting and poaching for use as a protein source and traditional medicine and international trade for its meat and scales in East and South East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.
Protection Status
IUCN Red List
- Indian Pangolin: Endangered
- Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered
- Both these species are listed under Schedule I, Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/odisha-radio-tags-rescued-indian-pangolin/article38074866.ece