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News: Researchers have revalidated and concluded that the Himalayan pangolin (Manis aurita) is a distinct extant species, separate from the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).
About Himalayan Pangolin (Manis aurita)
- It is a species of Asian Pangolin.
- Earlier, it was considered as a subspecies of Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).
- Scientific name: Its scientific name is Manis aurita.
- Distribution: Its distribution is restricted to the southern Himalayan foothills, with confirmed populations in Nepal, South Tibet, and Northeast India, including the state of Assam.
- It experienced a demographic contraction around the 14th century, coinciding with the onset of the Little Ice Age in the Himalayan region.
- Features:
- Compared to the Chinese pangolin, the Himalayan pangolin has a bigger body and skull, a longer tail and smaller ears.
- Size: It is larger on average (95.2 cm in size) compared to 71.2 cm for the Chinese pangolin.
- Threat:
- It is facing a threat from the illegal wildlife trade.
- The products from species have infiltrated regulated traditional medicine markets.
- It also faces an internal threat of inbreeding.
- It is facing a threat from the illegal wildlife trade.
- Protection status: It has been called for the same level of protection to be given to the species under the CITES Appendix I.
