Sunda Pangolin

The Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), also known as the Malayan or Javan pangolin, is a species of pangolin. It is a member of the Manidae family. Its English name comes from the Malay name pëngulin, which means "roller". It is native to Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the islands of Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Lesser Sunda Islands. It prefers forested primary, secondary and scrub forest habitats, but also lives in rubber and palm oil plantations. It is largely arboreal. == Taxonomy == In the past, this species has included the closely related Palawan pangolin (M. culionensis), as both are in the subgenus Paramanis. It is closely related to the Chinese pangolin, although the Malayan species is larger, lighter in colour, and has shorter fore claws. == Phylogeography == During the Pilo-Pleistocene, something that has shaped its phylogeographic patterns is the experience of the pangolin geographically and its climate history. == Description == The skin of the Sunda pangolin's feet is granular, although pads are found on its front feet. It has thick and powerful claws to dig into the soils in search of ant nests or to tear into termite mounds. The Sunda…