The Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) are mostly found in Taiwan and southern China in a wide range of habitats such as limestone forests, bamboo forests, broad-leaf and coniferous forests, grasslands and agricultural fields (Chao Jung-Tai 1989, Gurung 1996). It is one of eight species of pangolin, and they are all on the decline. The IUCN reports that the number of Chinese pangolins has declined rapidly over the past fifteen years, and this species is critically endangered nowadays due to hunting, the destruction of its natural habitat (Challender et al., 2004), and the change in temperature affecting wild animals as well (Fangyin, et al., 2013).
The Chinese pangolins are important to the society because they prey on termites, which cause …show more content…
They dig into ant nests and termite mounds with their central three front claws (up to 5cm long) and extract their prey with their long (16 to 40 cm), thin tongues into a toothless mouth. Its head is cone shaped and small compared to the body, and it has very small eyes but possesses an extremely good olfactory sense for identifying the prey. In addition, Males are larger than females. The Manis pentadactyla has a streamlined elongate body and tail covered with rounded and overlapping scales formed from fused hair. The total length range is from 54.5cm (female) to 79.5cm (male), and the tail length range is from 26cm (female) to 34.7cm (male). Also, a mature female usually weighs about 2.35kg and around 7.0kg for a male. However, although Chinese pangolins are secretive and nocturnal creatures, they are nonaggressive as they move very slowly and would not attack people (Health, 1992). Their hard scales that covered their whole body is known a protective cover, which can protect themselves from the predators, and when they feel threatened, they curl themselves into balls (Yang et al., …show more content…
There was no direct hormone evidence to confirm the pangolin’s gestation period. Therefore, the researchers had a study in Taipei Zoo to concentrate the serum progesterone in three pregnant and two non-pregnant rescued female Manis pentadactyla. In fact, the aim of this study is to evaluate the gestation period of limited number of rescued Manis pentadactyla using Progesterone Radioimmunoassay (P4 RIA) detection in serum samples. Pangolin A was hormonally monitored for 15.5 months, pangolin B was monitored for 8.5 months, pangolin C was monitored for 12 months, pangolin D was monitored for 21 months, and pangolin E was monitored for 12 months. They were all placed into a same size of indoor pens and fed with identical food after 4pm every afternoon. Blood samples were collected weekly from 2005 to 2006 for A, B, and C, and once every 2 weeks in 2007 for C and E. From the study, the commercial P4 RIA reagent could detect the serum P4 concentration of pregnant and non-pregnant female Manis pentadactyla consistently and successfully. As a result, P4 RIA is a reliable and effective method to evaluate the reproductive status of rescued Manis pentadactyla (Chin et al.,
The Chinese pangolins are important to the society because they prey on termites, which cause …show more content…
They dig into ant nests and termite mounds with their central three front claws (up to 5cm long) and extract their prey with their long (16 to 40 cm), thin tongues into a toothless mouth. Its head is cone shaped and small compared to the body, and it has very small eyes but possesses an extremely good olfactory sense for identifying the prey. In addition, Males are larger than females. The Manis pentadactyla has a streamlined elongate body and tail covered with rounded and overlapping scales formed from fused hair. The total length range is from 54.5cm (female) to 79.5cm (male), and the tail length range is from 26cm (female) to 34.7cm (male). Also, a mature female usually weighs about 2.35kg and around 7.0kg for a male. However, although Chinese pangolins are secretive and nocturnal creatures, they are nonaggressive as they move very slowly and would not attack people (Health, 1992). Their hard scales that covered their whole body is known a protective cover, which can protect themselves from the predators, and when they feel threatened, they curl themselves into balls (Yang et al., …show more content…
There was no direct hormone evidence to confirm the pangolin’s gestation period. Therefore, the researchers had a study in Taipei Zoo to concentrate the serum progesterone in three pregnant and two non-pregnant rescued female Manis pentadactyla. In fact, the aim of this study is to evaluate the gestation period of limited number of rescued Manis pentadactyla using Progesterone Radioimmunoassay (P4 RIA) detection in serum samples. Pangolin A was hormonally monitored for 15.5 months, pangolin B was monitored for 8.5 months, pangolin C was monitored for 12 months, pangolin D was monitored for 21 months, and pangolin E was monitored for 12 months. They were all placed into a same size of indoor pens and fed with identical food after 4pm every afternoon. Blood samples were collected weekly from 2005 to 2006 for A, B, and C, and once every 2 weeks in 2007 for C and E. From the study, the commercial P4 RIA reagent could detect the serum P4 concentration of pregnant and non-pregnant female Manis pentadactyla consistently and successfully. As a result, P4 RIA is a reliable and effective method to evaluate the reproductive status of rescued Manis pentadactyla (Chin et al.,