Ecology of resident Temminck's Pangolin (Smutsia Temminckii) in Central Namibia
Loading...
Date
2020-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Namibia University of Science and Technology
Abstract
Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals worldwide and as Asian species’ numbers have
drastically declined, African pangolin species have been increasingly targeted for the illegal
wildlife trade. Due to their nocturnal and elusive behaviour, many pangolin species, especially
Southern Africa’s Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temmicnkii), are understudied and poorly
understood. Previous research predominantly stems from the 1990’s and demonstrates highly
variable results in pangolin ecology and behaviour. This study represents the first detailed
research within Namibia, focusing on the ecology of Temminck’s pangolin in the central shrub
savannah habitat on a fenced private nature reserve. The overall objective of this study was to
contribute to knowledge of the basic ecology of Temminck’s pangolin to help inform conservation
strategies for pangolins through understanding home range sizes and overlaps between
individuals, prey preference, and burrow selection. The study was conducted from September
2018 to March 2020 utilizing VHF telemetry, GPS tracking, and field observations. A total of 46
resident individuals were identified on the 22,000 hectare private reserve and 36 were tagged.
Home range sizes were calculated for the entire tagging period utilizing MCP and 95% and 50%
Kernel density models. Home range and core area during the growing and non-growing seasons
for male and female individuals were calculated using 95% and 50 % Kernel Density models and
Complex Region Spatial Smoother (CReSS) analysis. Home range sizes on average were 6.32 km2
– 23.97 km2 for males and between 5.10 km2 – 11.11 km2 for females. Core area sizes on average
ranged from 1.81 km2 – 7.03 km2 for males and between 1.75 km2 – 2.17 km2 for females. Male
home ranges overlapped with four or more female home ranges, showing a polygamous mating
system. During the growing season there were 53 instances of home range overlap and 23
instances of core area overlap. During the non-growing season there were 25 instances of home
range overlap and 7 instances of core area overlap. Pangolins mostly fed by excavating nests,
showed clear preference for 6 species of ants and termites, and fed almost exclusively on
Anoplolepis spp. during the growing season although this species was not the most abundant in
the area. The study animals preferred burrows of at least one meter deep located at the base of termite mounds in dense thornshrub of mostly Senegalia mellifera. Home range and social
dynamics were comparable to those found by Heath & Coulson in Zimbabwe and the preference
for Anoplolepis sp. and burrows under termite mounds is comparable to studies done in South
Africa. The study assists in determining likely densities of pangolins in Namibia’s thornbush
savanna and provides prey and burrow preference variables which can be used to determine
suitable release sites for confiscated live trafficked pangolins.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Prediger, K. A. (2020). Ecology of resident Temminck's Pangolin (Smutsia Temminckii) in Central Namibia [Unpublished master's thesis]. Namibia University of Science and Technology.