Environment & Ecology
Context: According to the analysis by TRAFFIC, a global wildlife conservation non-profit, and World-Wide Fund for Nature-India, over 1200 Pangolins were poached for illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018-2022.
About Pangolins:
- Pangolins are nocturnal, toothless mammals that dig burrows and feed on ants and termites.
- Pangolins are scaly anteater mammals and they have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin.
- Pangolin is the only scaly mammal on the planet.
- It uses these scales as armor to defend itself against predators by rolling into a ball when threatened.
- Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.
About Ecosystem Services:
- They play a vital role in the ecosystem management, mostly in aerating and adding moisture to the soil as well as succession of plant communities through burrowing.
- They also keep in check the population of certain insects they prey on.
- The burrows made by pangolins also get utilized as shelters by other species within their ecosystem.
Indian Pangolin
- Range – Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- IUCN – Endangered
- The Indian pangolin, which dons a thick scaly skin, is hunted for meat and used in traditional Chinese medicine.
- Both these species are listed under Schedule I Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Chinese Pangolin
- Range – Bangladesh; Bhutan; China; Hong Kong; India; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Nepal; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam
- IUCN – Critically Endangered
Source: Down To Earth
Previous Year Questions
Q.1) Which of the following is not a bird? (2022)
- Golden Mahseer
- Indian Nightjar
- Spoonbill
- White Ibis
Q.2) Consider the following animals
- Hedgehog
- Marmot
- Pangolin
To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts? (2021)
- 1 and 2
- 2 only
- 3 only
- 1 and 3
