Pangolins are found naturally in regions across both Asia and Africa. There are eight living species, with four species native to Asia and four species native to Africa
. Asian Pangolins:
- Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata)
- Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis)
- Sunda or Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica)
- Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla)
Asian pangolins inhabit a range of environments including tropical and flooded forests, thick brush, cultivated areas, and savannah grasslands. They can be found as far west as Pakistan, north to Nepal and the Himalayan foothills, and south to the southern tip of Indonesia
. African Pangolins:
- Black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla)
- White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis)
- Giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea)
- Cape or ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii)
African pangolins live in sub-Saharan Africa, occupying habitats such as tropical forests, savannahs, grasslands, dry woodlands, and even cultivated farmland. The white-bellied pangolin prefers more forested areas, while the Cape pangolin is found in southern Africa
. Habitats:
Pangolins live in diverse habitats including:
- Tropical and swamp forests
- Savannahs and grasslands
- Thick bush and dry woodlands
- Cultivated areas such as farmland and plantations
- Hollow trees (especially some Asian species)
- Burrows dug by themselves or other animals (especially African species)
In summary, pangolins are distributed widely across Asia and Africa, adapting to a variety of terrestrial and arboreal habitats where ants and termites- their primary food source-are abundant
