Pholidota
Sign in to savePangolins, also called scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia. Manis comprises five species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa. These species range in size from . Several extinct pangolin species are also known. In September 2023, a ninth species was reported, although it is only known from confiscated scales and has never been observed in the wild.
AI overview
Pholidota is the scientific order that includes pangolins, or scaly anteaters, which are mammals found in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa that range widely in size. These animals matter because they represent a distinct group of mammals with unique characteristics, though they remain poorly understood, as evidenced by the recent discovery of a ninth species known only from confiscated scales and never observed in the wild.
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Research
648 papers- Axially chiral dihydrophenanthrene dimers from Pholidota yunnanensis with anti-neuroinflammatory activities.Bioorganic chemistry · 2024
- Comparative chromosome painting in Carnivora and Pholidota.Cytogenetic and genome research · 2012
- Three new phenanthrenes from Pholidota chinensis Lindl. and their antibacterial activity.Natural product research · 2022
- Chemical constituents of Pholidota cantonensis.Phytochemistry · 2017
- Only Sunda and Chinese pangolin (Pholidota) are naturally distributed in China.Integrative zoology · 2023
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Description
- Behaviour
- Diet
- Reproduction
- Classification and phylogeny
- Taxonomy
- Summary of extant species
- Phylogeny
- Among placentals
- Among Manidae
- Threats
- Virology
- COVID-19 infection
- ''Pestivirus'' and ''Coltivirus''
- Folk medicine
- Conservation
- Taiwan
- See also
- References
- External links
Pangolins, also called scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia. Manis comprises five species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa. These species range in size from . Several extinct pangolin species are also known. In September 2023, a ninth species was reported, although it is only known from confiscated scales and has never been observed in the wild.
Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales, covering their skin. Depending on the species, they live in hollow trees or burrows. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring, which they raise for about two years.