Attaching tracking devices to pangolins: A comprehensive case study of Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla from southeastern Taiwan

Abstract

All pangolins have a taper-shaped head and short neck that makes traditional collaring methods unsuitable and tracking devices are therefore typically attached to one of the larger keratinous scales that cover the body. However, the issue of early tag detachment has limited the duration of most Asian pangolin tracking studies up to the present. In this article, we illustrate a well-tested method for tagging pangolins, using the Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla as a case study. From June 2009 to December 2016, we tagged 44 pangolins and developed the tagging method over three stages. The most advanced method achieved no early detachments (n = 7 individuals; 100% of the tagged individuals), and the tracking duration lasted up to 2 years. We suggest that a strong but bendable linkage is required to withstand the pull strength of pangolins when digging burrows or moving through dense vegetation. Streamlining the shape of the transmitter can also greatly reduce the possibility of early detachment. For sub-adult pangolin, re-capture every 1–2 months to check the attachment and tag replacements (if necessary) are important. The methods that we describe greatly improve our capacity to tag and track these globally threatened species over ecologically relevant timescales.