# Chinese Pangolins in China Demonstrate Regional Differences in Burrow Habitat Selection

## TL;DR

Chinese pangolins show regional differences in burrow habitat selection, preferring specific environmental conditions like low elevation and silty soil.

## Contribution

This study identifies key habitat preferences and regional variations in Chinese pangolins, offering insights for conservation and habitat restoration.

## Key findings

- Pangolins prefer burrows at 50–150 m elevation, in silty soil, and on 20–40° slopes.
- They favor young and medium-aged broadleaved forests with canopy coverage over 70% and proximity to water.
- Significant regional differences were found in seven environmental factors affecting habitat selection.

## Abstract

The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is one of the world’s most endangered species. A thorough understanding of its habitat characteristics is critical for effective conservation, yet existing research has not reached a consensus on these features. To address this gap, we conducted habitat surveys across three Chinese provinces—Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang—to investigate the habitat preferences of the Chinese pangolin and assess potential regional variations. Our findings revealed that pangolin burrows were predominantly distributed at elevations of 50–150 m (62.3%), in silty soil (88.1%), on 20–40° slopes (83.3%), within young and medium-aged broadleaved forests with a canopy coverage exceeding 70% (65.8%), and close to water (less than 300 m). Notably, habitat characteristics varied significantly across the study regions. Additionally, we found that pangolins can tolerate moderate human disturbance, excluding direct hunting pressure. This study provides valuable reference data to support in situ conservation efforts, inform release site selection, and guide habitat restoration initiatives for the Chinese pangolin.

Knowledge of the habitat characteristics of endangered species is an important basis for in situ conservation, release-site selection, and habitat modification. Although the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is one of the world’s most endangered species, little is known about its habitat preferences, and the results of past studies differ greatly. To clarify the habitat characteristics of the Chinese pangolin, we conducted habitat surveys in Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang provinces of China using the transect method. A total of 520 burrow sites of Chinese pangolins were recorded in three study areas. The resulting data were analyzed using a generalized additive model, principal coordinate analysis, and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Nine ecological factors (elevation, slope, soil type, canopy coverage, surface coverage, number of trees, number of logs, tree diameter at breast height, and distance to a settlement) were found to affect pangolins’ distribution. Burrows were preferentially distributed at elevations of 50–150 m (62.3%), in silty soil (88.1%), on 20–40° slopes (83.3%), within young and medium-aged broadleaved forests with a canopy coverage exceeding 70% (65.8%), and close to water (less than 300 m). Among the three study regions, pangolin habitats differed significantly in seven environmental factors: elevation, canopy coverage, surface coverage, number of trees, distance to water, distance to a road, and distance to a settlement. Our findings imply that the Chinese pangolin appears to tolerate a broad range of ecological characteristics; however, food resources may be the key factor affecting its habitat selection, and other factors may indirectly affect its distribution by affecting food abundance. Finally, aside from hunting, a low level of human disturbance does not affect the presence of this species.