Amazing Species: Indian Pangolin
© Gerald Cubitt
Amazing Species: Indian Pangolin The Indian Pangolin, Manis crassicaudata, is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Distributed across much of India, northern and eastern parts of Pakistan, Southern Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, it is one of four species of pangolin that occur in Asia. Geographical range
Knowledge Experts Get Involved
The Indian Pangolin is covered in large, overlapping scales, and curls up into a ball to defend against predators. However, this armour is helpless against poachers, and the species is targeted for its meat, its scales (which are used in traditional Asian medicines), and its skin (for the manufacture of leather goods). Illegal international trade in Indian Pangolins and their derivatives is now on the increase, following suspected declines in populations of other Asian pangolin species. This species is listed on Appendix II of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and zero annual export quotas were established in 2000 for wild-caught animals traded primarily for commercial purposes. It is also protected by national legislation in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. There is an urgent need for further research into population levels, biology and the conservation needs of this species. The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership.
Amazing Species: Indian Pangolin The Indian Pangolin, Manis crassicaudata, is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Distributed across much of India, northern and eastern parts of Pakistan, Southern Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, it is one of four species of pangolin that occur in Asia. Geographical range
Knowledge Experts Get Involved
The Indian Pangolin is covered in large, overlapping scales, and curls up into a ball to defend against predators. However, this armour is helpless against poachers, and the species is targeted for its meat, its scales (which are used in traditional Asian medicines), and its skin (for the manufacture of leather goods). Illegal international trade in Indian Pangolins and their derivatives is now on the increase, following suspected declines in populations of other Asian pangolin species. This species is listed on Appendix II of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and zero annual export quotas were established in 2000 for wild-caught animals traded primarily for commercial purposes. It is also protected by national legislation in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. There is an urgent need for further research into population levels, biology and the conservation needs of this species. The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership.
