World Animal Day 4th of October

Today is the one of the most important day for our Nature. Today entire world celebrates “World Animal Day”. World Animal Day is an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on October 4, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

To help protect and save our Mother Nature we all should take care of the animals and birds that are wondering near our houses. Due to human evolution and rapid industrialization there are so many animal species which are extinct and many of are Endangered. It’s our duty to protect each of them because human cannot survive alone in the Nature without these animals, birds and most importantly the plants. So today we will decide to care for these animals and birds by many ways. For example we will start using eco-friendly bags instead of leather bags which will prevent killing of cows and buffalos for their leather. Also you can have some water pots placed in your balconies and on terraces so that birds can get drinking water during summer seasons. The most importantly all the parents should give awareness to their Childs regarding the issues with the animals and birds in our Nature.

As an initiative I will post information of some of the top endangered species from India. Today we will get familiar with The Indian pangolin. The information is taken from Wikipedia.

The Indian pangolin

The Indian pangolin, thick-tailed pangolin, or scaly anteater (Manis crassicaudata) is a pangolin found in the plains and hills of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. It is not common anywhere in its range. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armor. It can also curl itself into a ball as self-defense against predators such as the tiger. The color of its scales varies depending on the color of the earth in its surroundings. It is an insectivore that feeds on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day. The Indian pangolin is endangered by hunting for its meat and for various body parts used in traditional medicine. Within its range it is variously known as saal khapri (Chhattisgarhi), polusu pandi or nela chepa (Telugu), eenampechi (in Kerala), azhungu or alangu (Tamil), bajrakapta (Oriya), kaballewa (Sinhala), and chippu handi (Kannada).

The Indian pangolin is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is about 84–122 cm long from head to tail, the tail usually being 33–47 cm long, and weighs 10–16 kg. Females are generally smaller than the males and have one pair of mamma. The pangolin possesses a cone-shaped head with small, dark eyes, and a long muzzle with a nose pad similar in color, or darker than, it’s pinkish-brown skin. It has powerful limbs, tipped with sharp, clawed digits. It is an almost exclusive insectivore and principally subsists on ants and termites, which it catches with a specially adapted long, sticky tongue. The pangolin has no teeth, but has strong stomach muscles to aid in digestion. The most noticeable characteristic of the pangolin is its massive, scaled armor, which covers its upper face and its whole body with the exception of the belly and the inside of the legs. These protective scales are rigid and made of keratin. It has 160-200 scales in total, about 40-46% of which are located on the tail. Scales can be 6.5–7 cm long, 8.5 cm wide, and weigh 7-10 grams. The skin and scales make up about one-fourth to one-third of the total body mass of this species.

The Indian pangolin is solitary, mostly nocturnal, and terrestrial. In habitats such as Sri Lankan rainforests, they may be more arboreal, using their claws and prehensile tails as supports to readjust four legs as they climb. These pangolins dig their own burrows in the ground, at depths of 1.5–6 m; these are frequently under large rocks and the entrance is often hidden with soil. When in danger, they roll up into balls, with their large tails pressed tightly against face and belly to help protect themselves.

Although the Indian pangolin is protected by national legislation in many protected areas throughout its range, it is heavily exploited for its flesh, scales, and skin. Illegal demand has increased over the past 20 years. Populations are declining due to hunting and poaching for both subsistence and international trade. As they only have a single offspring per year, this high demand is starting to seriously endanger populations. Various parts of the pangolin are valued as sources of food and medicine. The scales are used as an aphrodisiac, or made into rings or charms. The skins are used to manufacture leather goods, including boots and shoes. The majority of hunting is carried out by nomads and trained local hunters.

Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked CITES-protected mammal. The two other Asian species of pangolins (Manis javanica and Manis pentadactyla) are also declining due to the market in Chinese traditional medicine.