The role of pangolins in ecosystems

Abstract Pangolins inhabit diverse ecosystems including primary and secondary tropical and sub-tropical forests, savanna woodland, grasslands, and artificial landscapes, among others. This chapter provides a brief overview of the role of pangolins in ecosystems, including as predators of social insects, as creators of burrows, as prey species, and as hosts of parasites. As predators of ants and termites, pangolins perform an important ecosystem service by contributing to the regulation of insect populations. By excavating burrows, they likely affect soil processes, including turnover of organic matter and aeration, and may act as bioturbators. Their burrows also provide shelter and thermal refugia for a range of commensal taxa. Pangolins are prey for species including African (Panthera leo) and Asiatic lions (P. l. persica), tigers (P. tigris) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and host a range of endo- and ectoparasites.