What is Manis Mysteria?

About Manis Mysteria:

• It is a newly discovered Pangolin species.
• The newly identified pangolin species emerged from a detailed study of scales seized in China’s Yunnan province in 2015 and 2019.
• This new species is believed to have diverged from its Philippine and Malayan relatives approximately five million years ago.

What are Pangolins?

• They are mammals known for their distinctive appearance and protective scales.
• They are often referred to as "scaly anteaters" due to their characteristic scales and their diet, which primarily consists of ants and termites.
• Pangolins are found in parts of Africa and Asia and are known for their elusive nature and status as the most trafficked mammals in the world.
• Features:
  • They are easily recognizable by their armor-like scales, which cover their bodies. These scales are made of keratin, the same protein found in human hair and nails. They are the only known mammals with this feature.
  • When threatened, pangolins can curl into a tight ball, with their scales forming a protective barrier.
  • Their diet consists mainly of ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues (A pangolin’s tongue is longer than its body).
  • Pangolins have no teeth; they chew with gravel and and keratinous spines inside the stomach.
  • They are most active at night and are solitary creatures.
• Threat:
  • All pangolin species are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
  • The Indian pangolin, also called thick-tailed pangolin, is classified as Endangered under the IUCN Red List.