The white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) is one of eight extant species of pangolins ("scaly anteaters"), and is native to equatorial Africa. Also known as the tree pangolin or three-cusped pangolin, it is the most common of the African forest pangolins.
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👉 Tree pangolin in the context of Phataginus
African tree pangolin (Phataginus) is a genus of African pangolins from subfamily small African pangolins (Phatagininae), within family Manidae. Its members are the more arboreal of the African pangolins.
From 2010 to 2019, at least 895,000 pangolins from the genus Phataginus were illegally trafficked. The animal is hunted and poached for its scales and meat, and is often used in making traditional medicine in places such as China and Vietnam. Attempts to protect these mammals from trafficking and extinction are ongoing; unfortunately their slow reproduction rate stymies population recovery. Currently the tree pangolin is listed as vulnerable. All pangolin species have been listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.
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Tree pangolin in the context of Lagos State
Lagos State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó, Gun: Ayìmátẹ̀n Awọnlìn tọ̀n) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, Lagos is the most populous state but has the smallest landmass in Nigeria. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with the Republic of Benin, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north and east, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos — the most populous city in Africa — the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.
Geographically, Lagos State is dominated by bodies of water with nearly a quarter of the state's area being lagoons, creeks, and rivers. The largest of these bodies are the Lagos and Lekki lagoons in the state's interior with the Ogun and Osun rivers flowing into them. Many other rivers and creeks flow throughout the state and serve as vital means of transportation for people and goods. On land, non-urbanized areas are within the tropical Nigerian lowland forests ecoregion with natural areas containing threatened populations of mona monkey, tree pangolin, and hooded vulture along with a transitory population of African forest elephants. Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are large fish populations along with African manatees and crocodiles.