The Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater, is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent. It is about long from head to tail, the tail usually being long, and weighs . Females are generally smaller than the males and have one pair of mammae. The pangolin possesses a cone-shaped head with small, dark eyes, and a long muzzle with a nose pad similar in color, or darker than, its pinkish-brown skin. It has powerful limbs, tipped with sharp, clawed digits.
Distribution and habitat
The Indian pangolin has been recorded in various forest types, including Sri Lankan rainforest and plains to middle hill levels. It inhabits grasslands and secondary forests, and is well adapted to dry areas and desert regions, but prefers more barren, hilly regions. In Sri Lanka, it was sighted at an elevation of , and in the Nilgiri mountains at . It prefers soft and semi-sandy soil conditions suitable for digging burrows.
Behaviour and ecology
thumb|Defending itself from [[Asiatic lions]]
The Indian pangolin is nocturnal and mostly active intermittently between 17:00 and 05:00 hr. The peak period of activity was observed between 20:00–21:00 hr in captive individuals with some individual variation.
The Indian pangolin does not climb trees, but it does value the presence of trees, herbs, and shrubs in its habitat because it is easier to dig burrows around them. Features that promote an abundance of ants and termites like
grasses, bare grounds, bases of trees, shrubs, roots, leaf litter, fallen logs and elephant feces are often present in pangolin habitats. When feeding, the rostral part of the pangolin's tongue is quickly inserted and withdrawn to capture prey. This movement is also used for drinking. The young weigh 235–400 g at birth and measure roughly 30 cm. The newborn animals have open eyes, and soft scales with protruding hairs between them. The mother pangolin carries her young on her tail. When the mother and young are disturbed, the young pangolin is held against its mother's belly and protected by the mother's tail.
Threats
thumb|Bag of pangolin scales intended for sale
The Indian pangolin is threatened by poaching for its meat and scales, which are used and consumed by local people, but are also increasingly traded internationally.
Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked protected mammals. Other threats include habitat loss, e.g. through deforestation.
Conservation
The Indian pangolin is listed on CITES Appendix I since January 2017 and is protected in all range countries. Oklahoma Zoo, and Nandankanan Zoological Park. Pangolins were found to not show any significant morphological changes during pregnancy. Births in captivity have been reported throughout the year except for May and June.