---
title: "What the sources say about the Giant Ground Pangolin | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "68 claims from the Giant Ground Pangolin profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Giant Ground Pangolin (*Smutsia gigantea*)

> 68 claims from the Giant Ground Pangolin profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Giant Ground Pangolin](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/giant-ground-pangolin/)

## Manis gigantea (giant pangolin). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Manis_gigantea/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| It weighs 30 to 35 kilograms | Range mass 30.0 to 35.0 kg (note: The current IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group page agrees on the top of the range ('weighing up to 35 kg'). Sandri et al. 2022 give 'weighing up to 40 kg' in their abstract; the page follows the current institution page and reports the one heavier animal only as the 2026 paper words it.) |
| averages about 1.5 meters long | Their average body length is 152.4 cm (note: 152.4 cm rounds to 1.5 m.) |
| Its back, tail and the outside of its legs are covered in overlapping grey-brown scales made of keratin | thick tail covered with keratinized epidermal cells in the form of overlapping scales ... The scales are grey-brown ... They extend across entire dorsal surface of body but are absent on the ventral side of body and the inner surface of the limbs. (note: 'the same material as your fingernails' that follows is a plain definition of keratin for young readers, not a species-specific claim. 'the outside of its legs' is the limbs minus the inner surface the source excludes.) |
| Its belly has no scales. | They extend across entire dorsal surface of body but are absent on the ventral side of body |
| If it can't reach its burrow in time, a giant pangolin curls into a tight ball with only its scales showing | In the event of a threat they will curl up into a tight ball with just the scales exposed to the outside. ... Giant pangolins resort to these defense mechanisms if they are unable to make it to their burrow in time. (note: 'only' is the source's 'just the scales exposed'.) |
| Once rolled up, it is virtually impossible to uncurl | Once rolled into a ball they are virtually impossible to uncurl |
| by tightening its muscles it can cause deep cuts with its scales | can cause deep cuts from their scales by contracting their muscles |
| It can also squirt a foul-smelling liquid from its rear end to drive predators away. | Another form of defense is the ejection a foul-smelling liquid from the anal region to repel predators. (note: 'squirt' paraphrases 'ejection', and 'rear end' the 'anal region', for young readers.) |
| Giant pangolins have no teeth and none of the muscles used for chewing. | they have no teeth. Since they are toothless, the muscles that aid in chewing and biting, the masseter and temporalis, are absent. (note: 'none of the muscles' is the source's 'are absent'.) |
| They dig into underground ant and termite nests | They forage at night and are able to dig deep into the soil and destroy the underground nests of ants and termites to eat directly from the nest. |
| three large, curved claws on each front foot. | On the fore feet there are three well-developed claws (the first and fifth digits are reduced) which are curved outwards to aid in digging. (note: 'large' paraphrases 'well-developed', beside the reduced first and fifth digits.) |
| Then they trap the insects on a tongue up to 70 centimeters long, coated in sticky saliva. | When protruded, the maximum length of the tongue is 70 cm ... The tongue is covered with sticky saliva secreted by a large submandibular gland to trap ants and termites. |
| A hard, layered lining in the stomach crushes the insects' tough outer skeletons. | the stomach is lined with a hard laminated epithelium to crush insect exoskeletons (note: 'layered' is what 'laminated' means; 'tough outer skeletons' defines 'exoskeletons'.) |
| Pulled back in, a giant pangolin's tongue runs beneath its chest and windpipe all the way down to its abdomen. | when it is retracted it lays ventral to the thorax and trachea and stretches all the way down to the abdomen |
| Part of it folds into the neck, leaving a bulge on the outside. | when retracted, a portion of the tongue is folded into the cervical region, creating a bulge on the outside of the neck |
| It lives only where ants and termites, its only food, are available all year round. | They are restricted to these regions in Sub-Saharan African because of the constant, habitable environment for ants and termites, their only food source that they depend on all year round. |
| It digs its own burrows, which can be several meters deep, or moves into ones another animal has abandoned. | The burrows can be several meters deep and are made either by themselves using their powerful forelimbs or they inhabit abandoned burrows made by another animal. |
| It sleeps there through the day, forages alone at night and never climbs trees. | In the wild giant pangolins are timid, nocturnal, solitary species spending their days concealed and asleep in their burrows. Even though they are found in and around forests, giant pangolins never climb trees. Giant pangolins are nocturnal, searching for food at night |
| Overlapping keratin scales | keratinized epidermal cells in the form of overlapping scales |
| a sticky tongue up to 70 centimeters long, and | the maximum length of the tongue is 70 cm ... The tongue is covered with sticky saliva |
| a defensive ball that's next to impossible to pry open | Once rolled into a ball they are virtually impossible to uncurl |
| A sticky tongue up to 70 centimeters long for trapping ants and termites | the maximum length of the tongue is 70 cm ... The tongue is covered with sticky saliva secreted by a large submandibular gland to trap ants and termites. |
| a scaly body it rolls into a ball that's next to impossible to uncurl | curl up into a tight ball with just the scales exposed to the outside. Once rolled into a ball they are virtually impossible to uncurl |
| Ants and termites, dug out of their nests | Giant pangolins are myrmecophagous mammals, meaning a diet specialized in ants and termites. ... able to dig deep into the soil and destroy the underground nests of ants and termites to eat directly from the nest |
| with large, curved front claws | On the fore feet there are three well-developed claws (the first and fifth digits are reduced) which are curved outwards to aid in digging. (note: 'large' paraphrases 'well-developed'.) |
| The scales are made of keratinized skin cells, the same material as claws and hair. | thick tail covered with keratinized epidermal cells in the form of overlapping scales (note: Keratin being the material of claws and hair is a plain definition of the term for young readers, not a species-specific claim.) |
| They overlap across its back, tail and the outside of its legs, but its belly and the inside of its legs have none. | They extend across entire dorsal surface of body but are absent on the ventral side of body and the inner surface of the limbs. (note: 'have none' is the source's 'are absent'.) |
| If it can't reach its burrow in time, the pangolin curls into a tight ball with only its scales showing | In the event of a threat they will curl up into a tight ball with just the scales exposed to the outside. ... Giant pangolins resort to these defense mechanisms if they are unable to make it to their burrow in time. (note: 'only' is the source's 'just the scales exposed'.) |
| once rolled up it is virtually impossible to uncurl | Once rolled into a ball they are virtually impossible to uncurl |
| By tightening its muscles it can cause deep cuts with its scales | can cause deep cuts from their scales by contracting their muscles |
| it can also squirt a foul-smelling liquid from its rear end to drive predators away | Another form of defense is the ejection a foul-smelling liquid from the anal region to repel predators. |
| It has no teeth, and it lacks the muscles used for chewing and biting. | they have no teeth. Since they are toothless, the muscles that aid in chewing and biting, the masseter and temporalis, are absent. |
| it digs into underground ant and termite nests with three | They forage at night and are able to dig deep into the soil and destroy the underground nests of ants and termites to eat directly from the nest. |
| curved claws on each front foot, then traps | On the fore feet there are three well-developed claws (the first and fifth digits are reduced) which are curved outwards to aid in digging. (note: 'large' paraphrases 'well-developed'.) |
| then traps the insects on a tongue up to 70 centimeters long, coated in sticky saliva | When protruded, the maximum length of the tongue is 70 cm ... The tongue is covered with sticky saliva secreted by a large submandibular gland to trap ants and termites. |
| Pulled back in, the tongue runs beneath its chest all the way down to its abdomen. | when it is retracted it lays ventral to the thorax and trachea and stretches all the way down to the abdomen |
| A hard, layered lining in its stomach crushes the insects' tough outer skeletons. | the stomach is lined with a hard laminated epithelium to crush insect exoskeletons |
| Each front foot has three large claws that curve outward to help it dig. | On the fore feet there are three well-developed claws (the first and fifth digits are reduced) which are curved outwards to aid in digging. |
| It digs into underground ant and termite nests to feed | are able to dig deep into the soil and destroy the underground nests of ants and termites to eat directly from the nest |
| it digs its own burrows, which can be several meters deep | The burrows can be several meters deep and are made either by themselves using their powerful forelimbs |
| Despite living in and around forests, it never climbs trees. | Even though they are found in and around forests, giant pangolins never climb trees. |
| curls into a tight ball with just its scales showing | In the event of a threat they will curl up into a tight ball with just the scales exposed to the outside. (note: vibe.reason, settled in #274: replaces 'ancient Saharan grit', which argued from geography, with the defensive ball) |
| once rolled up, is virtually impossible to uncurl | Once rolled into a ball they are virtually impossible to uncurl (note: vibe.reason, settled in #274) |

## Giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea). IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group.

https://www.pangolinsg.org/pangolins/giant-pangolin/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The Biggest Pangolin Alive | The giant pangolin is the largest extant species of pangolin. |
| the largest living pangolin species | The giant pangolin is the largest living pangolin species |
| it prefers moist places close to water | the giant pangolin prefers moist habitats and being close to water sources |
| Giant pangolins are thought to be extinct in Rwanda | It is thought the giant pangolin is now extinct in Rwanda. |
| preferring moist places close to water | the giant pangolin prefers moist habitats and being close to water sources |

## Nixon et al. (2019). Smutsia gigantea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T12762A123584478.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2019-3.rlts.t12762a123584478.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Endangered | IUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN). |

## Mwale et al. (2017). Forensic application of DNA barcoding for identification of illegally traded African pangolin scales. Genome.

https://doi.org/10.1139/gen-2016-0144

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Rare, Hunted and Still Turning Up | Smutsia gigantea, a sister taxon of S. temminckii, has also been reported to be rare (note: 'Hunted' is the section's poaching sentence (Montblanc et al. 2026) and 'Still Turning Up' its 2018 Kenya and 2023 Senegal records, each claimed below.) |
| Like all pangolins, it is hunted for bushmeat and for its scales, which are used in traditional medicine in Africa and East Asia. | An increase in illegal wildlife trade (IWT) has been documented for all species of pangolin (Family: Manidae) that are exploited for bush meat, and body parts and scales, which have superstitious value and use in traditional medicine in Africa ... and East Asia |
| Pangolins are thought to be among the most trafficked mammals in the world | pangolins now being the most trafficked wild mammal species by numbers (note: Mwale et al. 2017 state it flatly; the FAQ uses the hedge of the newer Montblanc et al. 2026 ('thought to be one of the most trafficked mammals in the world'), which the 2017 wording entails.) |
| a 2017 study cited estimates of more than 10,000 traded illegally each year | illegal pangolin trade has continued to escalate, with pangolins now being the most trafficked wild mammal species by numbers (>10,000 individuals per year) globally (Davis 2014, Challender et al. 2015a) (note: The paper cites the figure from Davis 2014 and Challender et al. 2015a, so the FAQ dates it to the 2017 study and calls it a cited estimate rather than a current yearly total.) |
| In that study's DNA tests of scales from a three-tonne seizure in Hong Kong | The seizure of three tonnes of pangolin scales, believed to have originated from Africa, by Hong Kong Customs Authorities provided an opportunity for the application of DNA barcoding in identifying scales. (note: 'believed to' hedges the scales' African origin, which the FAQ does not state.) |
| the 10 bags sampled | A representative sub-sample of these confiscations consisting of 10 bags |
| giant pangolin turned up in only one | Smutsia gigantea, a sister taxon of S. temminckii, has also been reported to be rare and was only identified in one bag |
| The authors note the species has also been reported to be rare. | Smutsia gigantea, a sister taxon of S. temminckii, has also been reported to be rare |

## Montblanc et al. (2026). First hematological and biochemical findings in a rehabilitated giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) from Southern Cameroon. Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1870026

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Its home is rainforest, swamp forest and wooded savanna across Central and West Africa | This elusive species inhabits rainforests, swamp forests and wooded savannas across Central and West Africa |
| Poaching (illegal hunting) and habitat loss are causing severe population declines. | faces severe population declines due to poaching and habitat loss (note: 'illegal hunting' defines 'poaching' for young readers.) |
| scientists have projected they could vanish from some countries within two decades, even with no further habitat loss | local extinction has been projected within two decades in countries of its range even without further habitat degradation (note: The paper cites this from its reference 3, Zanvo et al. 2023, which models extirpation rates in Benin, so 'some countries' keeps it from reading as the whole range.) |
| Pangolins are thought to be among the most trafficked mammals in the world, mainly for their meat and for scales used in traditional medicine. | Pangolins are thought to be one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, primarily due to the demand for their meat consumption and scales in traditional medicine (note: The 2026 paper hedges what Mwale et al. 2017 stated flatly ('the most trafficked'); the newer wording wins.) |
| The species also remains poorly studied, with big gaps in basic facts about its biology. | the species remains poorly studied, with major gaps in basic biological and clinical data |
| Rainforest, swamp forest, and wooded savanna across Central and West Africa | This elusive species inhabits rainforests, swamp forests and wooded savannas across Central and West Africa |

## Sandri et al. (2022). Three spatially separate records confirm the presence of and provide a range extension for the giant pangolin Smutsia gigantea in Kenya. Oryx.

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605322000126

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| three separate records placed giant pangolins in the mountain forests of western Kenya | Here we present three spatially separate records confirming the presence of this species in Kenyan Afromontane forests. (note: 'mountain forests' explains 'Afromontane' (Africa's mountain forests) for young readers.) |
| In 2018, three separate records | The first is the result of a camera-trap survey conducted in July 2018 ... The second record, also from 2018 ... A third record was reported in August 2018 |
| about 500 kilometers east of the nearest confirmed population in Uganda | c. 500 km east of the nearest confirmed giant pangolin population in Uganda |

## Ndiaye et al. (2024). Rediscovery of the endangered giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) in Senegal after 24 years. African Journal of Ecology.

https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13279

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| it is still being found | we present photographic evidence that giant pangolins are still present in the park |
| In 2023, camera traps (cameras that fire automatically when an animal passes) rediscovered the species in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park, 24 years after its last documented sighting there in 1999. | The last documented sighting of a giant pangolin in Senegal was in Niokolo-Koba National Park (NKNP) and dates back to 1999. Following a large camera-trap survey carried out in NKNP in 2023, we present photographic evidence that giant pangolins are still present in the park. (note: '24 years' and 'rediscovered' are the paper's own title ('Rediscovery of the endangered giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) in Senegal after 24 years', Ndiaye et al. 2024); the abstract gives the two dates. The parenthesis defines 'camera traps' for young readers.) |