Abstract
The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758) is a critically endangered species, and documents on its captive breeding and reproductive parameters are scarce. MP8, kept in the Pangolin Research Base for Artificial Rescue and Conservation Breeding of South China Normal University (the PRB-SCNU), gave birth to a male offspring (MP86) on 19 October 2011. The baby pangolin was well developed, with a weight of 120 g and a total length of 23.2 cm. The gestation length of MP8 was estimated to be from 182 to 225d. Reproductive parameters of the Chinese pangolin are discussed based on collected data about this species. The Chinese pangolin has an obvious reproductive seasonality and its gestation length is typically six to seven months. In this observation, estrus and mating principally occurred in a one-year period from February to July. Parturition principally took place from September to February of the next year. Chinese pangolins usually give birth to one offspring at a time (n = 27). Sex ratio at birth was 0.71:1 (♀:♂, n = 12). Average weight for the reproducible females was 3.57 ± 1.38 kg (2.14–6.8 kg, n = 15). We estimated that Chinese pangolins could reach sexual maturity before they were one year old.
Highlights
The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758) belonging to the order Pholidota of Mammalia is one of eight extant species of pangolins around the world (Gaubert and Antunes 2005, Wu et al 2004a), and mainly distributes in the southern area of the Yangtze River, China (Wu et al 2005)
Subjects of this study were two wild-born Chinese pangolins marked as MP1 (♂) and MP8 (♀) who were sent to the PRB-SCNU on 24 June and 16 July 2010, respectively
A female Chinese pangolin whose weight decreased by 950 g gave birth to a cub with a weight of 52 g, who died within a few minutes after its birth (Chin et al 2011)
Summary
The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758) belonging to the order Pholidota of Mammalia is one of eight extant species of pangolins around the world (Gaubert and Antunes 2005, Wu et al 2004a), and mainly distributes in the southern area of the Yangtze River, China (Wu et al 2005). Chinese pangolins were first maintained in captivity in 1877; and afterwards, at least twenty-four zoos and five universities and institutions tried to keep them In these practices, most of the captive pangolin individuals died within one year (Chao et al 1993, Cheng et al 2000, Chin et al 2011, Clark et al 2008, Gu et al 1983, Heath and Vanderlip 1988, Hoyt 1987, Masui 1967, Shi and Wang 1985, Wang 2000, Wilson 1994, Wu 1998, Yang et al 2001, 2007).
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