Pangolins are mammals covered in scales from head to toe, with long tails, sticky tongues, and adorably short forearms that are often held out together in a way that bears a slight resemblance to a small, pleading Dickensian child.
They are one of the most trafficked animals on the planet.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, over a million pangolins were trafficked over a ten-year period for their meat, skins, and scales in countries like Vietnam and China — and even the United States.
Due to the decimation of their populations around the globe, all eight species of pangolin are endangered and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the highest international trade agreement of wild animals and plants.
But recently, biologists made new headways in pangolin research, when scientists from the Zoological Survey of India conducted DNA analysis on an array of confiscated pangolins.
Shockingly, one pangolin turned out to be a new species of Asian pangolin, which researchers dubbed the Indo-Burmese pangolin (Manis indoburmanica).
Upon analyzing the structure and function of the specimen’s DNA, the biologists were able to trace the pangolin’s evolutionary lineage back to a species that diverged from the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) approximately 3.4 million years ago.
“This discovery is a testament to the power of modern genetic tools in uncovering hidden diversity,” Mukesh Thakur, lead biologist, said in a statement.
“The Indo-Burmese pangolin not only enriches our understanding of Asian pangolins but also emphasizes the need for region-specific conservation efforts.”
“It is a privilege to contribute to such an important discovery,” added Lenrik Konchok Wangmo, a scholar at the University of Calcutta who was a pivotal figure in the study.
“This species adds a new dimension to pangolin conservation, highlighting the importance of protecting their habitats from threats like poaching and habitat degradation.”
Thakur, Wangmo, and their colleagues said that the species’ belated discovery indicates that the species may be in small numbers — and highlights how vulnerable pangolins are as a whole.
“Pangolins are among the most heavily trafficked mammals globally,” Thakur told the Indian Express.
“Recognizing this species as distinct highlights its vulnerability and the pressing need for collaborative conservation measures across its range.”
In addition to trafficking, pangolins are under threat from deforestation and industrialization — which shrinks their habitats and forces them to forage for food at unnatural times.
Looking for food during the day, under less tree coverage, leaves them at risk for predators like leopards, hyenas, and pythons.
Across Asia and Africa, pangolins are critical for environmental health. The Nature Conservancy even refers to them as “guardians of the forest” because they primarily feed on termites and protect trees from destruction, creating a balanced ecosystem.
This latest discovery of the Indo-Burmese pangolin, found in parts of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India — and possibly in Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar — indicates that more work lies ahead for pangolin conservationists.
“This remarkable finding demonstrates the critical role of scientific research in uncovering biodiversity and informing conservation action,” said Dhriti Banerjee, the director of ZSI.
“Protecting the Indo-Burmese pangolin is essential to safeguarding the ecological integrity of the Indo-Burma region.”
Header image via Shukran888 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
