List of pholidotans

Pholidota is an order of placental mammals in the Pholidotamorpha clade. A member of this order is called a pholidotan or a pangolin. They are distributed throughout Africa, the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia, and are usually found in habitats such as savannas, forests, grasslands and shrublands. Pholidotans range in size from the giant pangolin, at 30 kg (66 lb) and 68 cm (27 in) in length, to the tree pangolin, at only 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) and 34 cm (13 in) in length. They have large, hardened, keratin scales which cover their skin, and long claws which they use for digging or climbing trees. Most species are nocturnal and feed primarily on ants and termites, though other insects may also be taken. Despite only a few pholidotans having population estimates, all eight species are classified as threatened by the IUCN Red List, with three being classified as critically endangered, largely due to intensive poaching of their keratin scales.^[1][2]

The eight extant species of Pholidota are assigned to the family Manidae which is split into three genera within three subfamilies: Maninae (Asian pangolins), Phatagininae (African tree pangolins) and Smutsiinae (African ground pangolins). A ninth species, Manis mysteria, was proposed in 2023, though its status as valid taxa remains uncertain. Around a dozen extinct prehistoric pholidotan species have been described; however, due to ongoing research the exact categorization and number is not fixed.^[1][3]