Abstract
The white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) occurs in West and Central Africa and is the most frequently encountered of the four African pangolins. The species is small, weighing up to 3kg, and has a total length of about 100cm. The tail is longer than the head and body combined, comprising a major proportion of overall length. The scales are striated and three-cusped. Solitary and nocturnal, the white-bellied pangolin is semi-arboreal and apparently most abundant in moist tropical lowland forest. Breeding is continuous and a single young is born at parturition. The species is extensively hunted and poached across its range for bushmeat and its body parts for use in traditional medicine, and for illegal trade to Asian markets. Other threats include habitat loss and the species is declining in many parts of its range.
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