Study On Occurrence Records,Activity Rhythms And Potential Habitat Suitability Of The Chinese Pangolin (Manis Pentadactyla)

The Chinese pangolin（Manis pentadactyla）is a critically endangered species worldwide and is listed as a first-level protected animal in China,where it is distributed in various provinces south of the Yangtze River.However,the extensive use of Chinese pangolin scales in traditional Chinese medicine,which have high economic value,as well as the consumption of its meat as a delicacy,has led to a significant increase in illegal hunting since the mid-20th century.This has resulted in a drastic reduction in population size,making it difficult to locate this species in the wild.Moreover,due to the low reproductive rate of Chinese pangolins and their nocturnal and elusive behavior,protecting them has become even more challenging,greatly hindering effective conservation efforts.Therefore,urgent biological research is necessary to better formulate and implement protection measures that will safeguard this valuable biological resource.（1）The primary task is to clarify the real distribution status of the Chinese pangolin in the wild in order to develop scientific protection measures.By retrieving academic literature,news reports,and conducting field surveys between 2010 and 2022,the precise locations of the Chinese pangolin in various provinces,municipalities,autonomous regions of China were recorded and a species distribution map was created to evaluate the distribution status of the species in the wild.The results show that from2010 to 2022,there were a total of 151 records of Chinese pangolin sightings,including99 live pangolins,44 images captured by infrared cameras,6 rescued pangolins,and 2dead pangolins.These records were distributed in 147 locations in 10 provinces in China.It is worth mentioning that Jiangxi,Taiwan,Zhejiang,and Guangdong provinces had the highest number of records,accounting for 78.81%of all records.In addition,it was found that provinces with a large number of historical Chinese pangolin sightings,such as Sichuan,Guizhou,and Hubei,had no confirmed records in the past decade.This indicates that the distribution range of the Chinese pangolin in the wild is severely limited and that more research and protection work is needed.（2）Understanding the ecological habits and adaptation strategies of the Chinese pangolin is important for protecting this species.To investigate the activity patterns and seasonal differences of the Chinese pangolin,34 infrared cameras were set up in front of their burrows in the mountainous area of Xiagaoli Village,Xiushui County,Jiujiang City,Jiangxi Province,from October 2020 to October 2022 to monitor their population dynamics and activity rhythms.The results showed that during the study period,the infrared cameras captured 328 sets of 984 photos and 276 videos totaling 2674 seconds of the Chinese pangolin,with 128 independent photos.The study found that the Chinese pangolin is a typical nocturnal animal（β=0.003）.with its daily activity time from 6 PM to 6 AM,and activity peaks at midnight（0 AM）and 2 AM,but the differences in activity peaks were not significant（P>0.05）,nor were there significant seasonal changes（χ²=0.437,df=3,P=0.933）.In addition,the study also found that the monthly activity peak of the Chinese pangolin occurred in March to April(I_MRA=0.18),June to August(I_MRA=0.10),and October to December(I_MRA=0.08),while activity levels were comparatively low in May(I_MRA=0.04)and September(I_MRA=0.02),and no activity was captured in February.These results suggest that the Chinese pangolin has a certain biological clock and can adapt to changes in different seasons and environments,adjusting its activity rhythm and behavior.This is important for understanding its ecological habits and formulating effective protection strategies.The study also provides a reference for the ecological research of other similar species.（3）Identifying the potentially distributional habitat of Chinese pangolin and establishing the connection between their habitat requirements and living conditions can be crucial for protecting this species.Using collected data on the distribution of the Chinese pangolin,along with the Max Ent ecological niche model,Geographic Information Systems（GIS）,and R language,we predicted and analyzed the potential distribution of the Chinese pangolin in China.The results showed that six environmental variables,including the precipitation of the coldest quarter,annual precipitation,annual temperature range,elevation,slope,and human footprint index,were significantly associated with the distribution of the Chinese pangolin.The Max Ent model based on these six dominant environmental variables had an average AUC value of 0.960（SD±0.008）,indicating excellent predictive performance.Jackknife revealed that precipitation of the coldest quarter,annual precipitation,annual temperature range,and elevation were the primary factors affecting the distribution of the Chinese pangolin.The suitable distribution area corresponds to the characteristic values of the four main environmental variables:precipitation of the coldest quarter>123.26 mm,annual precipitation>1383.12 mm～2823.84 mm,annual temperature range 15.39～33.37℃,elevation<941.15 m.According to the model’s prediction,the suitable distribution area for the Chinese pangolin in China is mainly located south of the Yangtze River,with a total area of approximately 81.78×10⁴ km²,accounting for 8.52%of China’s land area.Jiangxi,Guangdong,Fujian,Guangxi,and Zhejiang provinces are the main distribution areas of Chinese pangolin.The total area of middle and high suitable distribution（occurrence probability>0.5）was 13.65×10⁴ km²,9.13×10⁴ km²,6.54×10⁴ km²,6.44×10⁴ km²,and 5.59×10⁴ km²,respectively.They account for 81.78%,50.78%,52.71%,27.12%,and 53.03%of the area of the province,respectively.It is worth noting that the high-suitable distribution area（occurrence probability>0.7）of Chinese pangolin is distributed in Jiangxi,Zhejiang,and Anhui provinces,which is relatively correlated with the higher occurrence records of Chinese pangolin in those areas.The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the protection and management of Chinese pangolin habitats,helping to develop more effective protection plans to ensure the survival and reproduction of this species.