african white-bellied pangolin

The African White‑bellied Pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) is a small, scaled mammal native to West and Central Africa. Adults typically measure about 25‑38 cm from head to body with a long prehensile tail (often 35‑60 cm or more), giving a total length of around 100 cm in some individuals. Their scales are brown to grey‑brown, and each has three cusps (hence the specific name tricuspis), and the belly is pale or white. Adapted for a nocturnal, insect‑eating (myrmecophagous) life, their long, sticky tongue allows them to feed effectively on ants and termites. They are semi‑arboreal, climbing trees, and also foraging on the ground under the cover of darkness. Although once considered relatively common among African forest pangolins, populations are now Endangered, facing steep declines mainly due to illegal trade and habitat loss. Because of their solitary and cryptic nature, exact numbers are hard to obtain, but conservationists infer severe declines and emphasise urgent protection of habitats, enhancement of law enforcement against trafficking, and research on their ecology to support recovery.