The captive behavior and reproduction of the Chinese pangolin, Manis pentadactyla (Pholidota, Manidae)

Manis pentadactyla was once a widely distributed and resource-rich pangolin species in China. However, in recent years, the wild population has declined sharply due to overuse and habitat loss. It is currently one of the world's most endangered species and is listed as a "National First-class Protected Animal" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the China Biodiversity Red List of critically endangered species. This study recorded videos of captive M. pentadactyla and used “continuous animal behavior recording” to study the behavioral characteristics of this species in captive environments. The results showed that under captive conditions, behaviors of the Chinese pangolin mainly include feeding, exercise (such as crawling, digging, and climbing), mating, hiding, and resting, where the most common behaviors besides resting were climbing and pacing. Overall, the peak activity period of the pangolins falls between 18:00 and 21:00, which differs from documented activity rhythm results obtained in the wild, most likely due to the ease of acquiring food in artificial captive environments. A correlation analysis between the duration of exercise and feeding behaviors indicates a significant positive correlation between the times allocated to the two behaviors, which means that the more exercise they get, the more they eat. The mating behavior of the pangolins never lasted more than 40 minutes, and based on the time of the first mating behavior, it is estimated that the gestation period of M . pentadactyla in captive environments is less than 131 days. Individual A7, reported in this study, is the first M. pentadactyla baby born in an artificial captive environment on the Chinese Mainland and still alive. In addition, this study compares the captive behavior of M . javanica and M . pentadactyla , highlighting certain differences in behavioral rhythms between the two pangolin species. This work will aid in the development of captive breeding programs for the Chinese pangolin and the potential supplementation of the wild population.