鱗甲目（Pholidota）,源于希腊语φολῐ́ς（pholís,"鳞片"）,意为 "披着鳞片",指的是这些动物的皮肤上覆盖着巨大的保护性角质鳞片.

Pholidota, from Greek φολῐ́ς (pholís, “scales”), means “clad in scales”, in reference to the fact that these animals have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin.

種的俗名 Common names of members

穿山甲

Pangolins.

分布 Distribution

撒哈拉以南非洲以及南亚、东南亚和东亚

Sub-saharan Africa and South, Southeast and East Asia.

體型 Size

牠们的体型属于中小型,长度从 30 公分到 99 公分不等.

They have a small-medium size, from 30 cm to 99 cm length.

形態描述 Morphology

牠们有一条和身体差不多长的长尾巴,短腿上长着强有力的爪子,用来挖掘洞穴和破坏白蚁洞穴.牠们身上覆盖着由角蛋白制成的鳞片,这种材料与人类的头发和指甲相同.牠们没有牙齿,但有一条比身体还长的舌头,与肋骨底部相连.这条超长的舌头用来把蚂蚁和白蚁粘出洞穴.

They have a long tail which is about the same length as their body, short legs with strong claws to dig burrows and destroy termite chambers. They are covered in scales made from keratin, the same material that human hair and fingernails are composed of. Toothless, they have a tongue longer than its body length which is connected to the bottom of its ribcage. This super long tongue is used for sticking ants and termites out of the chamber.

生態與棲息地 Ecology & Habitat

多沙的栖息地,如灌木林和稀树草原,也有雨林和沼泽（因为有树栖物种）.在地下洞穴中休息.

Sandy habitats, such as shrublands and savannahs, but also rainforests and swamps (since there are arboreal species). Rests in underground burrows.

食性 Diet

牠们是食虫动物.牠们的食物大多是各种蚂蚁和白蚁,也可能以其他昆虫（尤其是幼虫）作为补充.牠们有些挑食,往往只吃一种或两种昆虫,即使有许多种昆虫可供牠们选择.

They are insectivorous. Most of their diet consists of various species of ants and termites, and may be supplemented by other insects, especially larvae. They are somewhat particular and tend to consume only one or two species of insects, even when many species are available to them.

繁殖 Reproduction 

成體单独生活,只在交配期见面,交配期通常在每年的夏季或秋季.雌性每年产下一个后代.新生儿的鳞片是粉红色的,很柔软.一天后,鳞片开始变硬.母亲会把婴儿藏在腹部附近,然后把自己卷成一个球,以此来保护婴儿.

Adults live individually and only meet during the mating period which is usually in summer or autumn each year. Females give birth to one offspring each year. Newborn babies’ scales are pink and soft. After one day, the scales will start to harden. Mothers protect the baby by hiding the baby near her belly then roll herself up to a ball.

已知的物種

Total species known

8

博物館收藏的物種

Species in the collection

1

在香港已知的物種

Species in Hong Kong

1

References

Spearman, R. I. C. (1967). On the nature of the horny scales of the pangolin. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 46(310), 267–273, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1967.tb00508.x.

Ma, J., Li, L., Jiang, H., Zhang, X., Li, J., Li, G., Yuan, L., Wu, J., Chen, J. (2017). Transcriptomic analysis identifies genes and pathways related to myrmecophagy in the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica). PeerJ, 5: e4140. https://doi.org/10.7717%2Fpeerj.4140.

Katuwal, H. B., Sharma, H. P., Parajuli, K. (2017). Anthropogenic impacts on the occurrence of the critically endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) in Nepal. Journal of Mammalogy, 98(6), 1667–1673, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyx114.

Sabin, K. C., Regmi, S., Pant, B., Nepali, A., Katuwal, H. B., Sharma, H. P. (2024). Factors influencing Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) burrow selection in the Chandragiri-Champadevi hills of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Heliyon, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25774. 

Gray, R. J., Le, D. V., Nguyen, H. T. T., Cau, L. N., Nguyen, T. V., Pham, T. V., Willcox, D., Chen, T., Nguyen, T. V. (2023). Home ranges and activity patterns of Sunda pangolins Manis javanica (Pholidota: Manidae) in Vietnam. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 16(3), 421-431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2023.05.005. 

Moufao, A. D. T., Tédonzong, L. R. D., Ingram, D. J., Binda, V. A., Nfor-Ngwayi, I. C., Mayaka, T. B. (2023). Maximum entropy modeling of giant pangolin Smutsia gigantea (Illiger, 1815) habitat suitability in a protected forest-savannah transition area of central Cameroon. Global Ecology and Conservation, 43, e02395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02395.

Gudehus, M. (2020). Chapter 8 - Black-bellied pangolin Phataginus tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1766). In. D. W. S. Challender, H. C. Nash, C. Waterman (Ed.), Pangolins - Science, Society and Conservation (pp. 123-138). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815507-3.00008-3.

Hua, L., Gong, S., Wang, F., Li, W., Ge, Y., Li, X., Hou, F. (2015). Captive breeding of pangolins: current status, problems and future prospects. Zookeys, 507, 99–114. https://doi.org/10.3897%2Fzookeys.507.6970.