1400 



THE EDENTATES 



Asiatic 



Pangolins 



Asia is inhabited by three species of the family, namely, the Indian 

 pangolin (Manis pentadactyla} , confined to India and Ceylon, and 

 represented in the accompanying figure; the Chinese pangolin (M. 

 aurita), ranging from Nipal and Assam to China; and the Malayan pangolin (M. 

 javanica], inhabiting the regions to the westward of the Bay of Bengal as far as 

 Celebes, and also occurring in Northeastern India. All these species agree with one 

 another in having the whole of the outer surfaces of the limbs covered with scales, 

 and in their tapering tails, on which the middle upper rows of scales is continued 

 uninterruptedly to the extremity. In the first two species the front claws are about 

 twice the length of the hinder ones; the Indian pangolin being distinguished by 

 having from eleven to thirteen rows of scales round the body, against from fifteen 



THE SHORT-TAILED PANGOLIN. 

 (One-sixth natural size.) 



to eighteen in the Chinese species. On the other hand, the more slenderly-built 

 and long-tailed Malayan pangolin differs from both the others in having the claws 

 on the fore-feet only slightly exceeding in length those of the hind-feet. In the 

 Indian pangolin the length of the head and body is just over two feet, and that of 

 the tail a foot and a half. 



The habits of all the three kinds are believed to be similar, although 

 the Malayan species is probably less of a burrower than the others. 

 The Indian pangolin dwells either among the crevices and clefts of rocks, or in bur- 

 rows of its own construction; such burrows extending to a depth of from eight to 

 twelve feet below the surface, and terminating in a large chamber, which may be as 

 much as six feet in diameter. Here a pair of these animals take up their abode. 



Habits 



