Manis mysteria
| Manis mysteria Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| Known scales belonging to M. mysteria | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Pholidota |
| Family: | Manidae |
| Genus: | Manis |
| Species: | M. mysteria
|
| Binomial name | |
| Manis mysteria Tong-Tong et al., 2023
| |
Manis mysteria, the cryptic pangolin, is a pangolin in the family Manidae that is native to an unknown location within Asia.[1] It is only known from partial specimens and the species has never been observed alive.[2]
Discovery and naming
Manis mysteria is known from twenty-seven scales confiscated in 2012 and 2013 in Hong Kong,[3] and a further six scales confiscated during 2015 and 2019 in Yunnan, China.[2]
The scales were first identified as belonging to a new pangolin species by Zhang (2015), who identified a genotype lineage which could not be identified as belonging to any of the Asian pangolin species known at the time.[3]
Tong-Tong (2023) described the scales and assigned them to the a new species named Manis mysteria.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Because Manis mysteria is only known from confiscated scales, its distribution across Asia remains unknown until live specimens are found.[2]
Conservation
It is probably critically endangered because the species has a low genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding.[1]
Manis mysteria, much like every other species of pangolin, is considered critically endangered due to how sought after they are to hunters. Other than the meat, which is a delicacy in certain Asian cultures, Manis mysteria is almost certainly hunted for its scales, organs, and skin, which are used in traditional medicine.[4][5]
References
- ^ a b "Ninth Pangolin Species- 'Manis Mysteria'". www.iastoppers.com. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d Gu, Tong-Tong; Wu, Hong; Yang, Feng; Gaubert, Philippe; Heighton, Sean P.; Fu, Yeyizhou; Liu, Ke; Luo, Shu-Jin; Zhang, Hua-Rong; Hu, Jing-Yang; Yu, Li (2023-10-03). "Genomic analysis reveals a cryptic pangolin species". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120 (40): e2304096120. Bibcode:2023PNAS..12004096G. doi:10.1073/pnas.2304096120. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 10556634. PMID 37748052.
- ^ a b Zhang, Huarong; Miller, Mark P.; Yang, Feng; Chan, Hon Ki; Gaubert, Philippe; Ades, Gary; Fischer, Gunter A. (2015). "Molecular tracing of confiscated pangolin scales for conservation and illegal trade monitoring in Southeast Asia". Global Ecology and Conservation. 4: 414–422. Bibcode:2015GEcoC...4..414Z. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2015.08.002. ISSN 2351-9894.
- ^ "pangolin". InfoPlease. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ "pangolin | Description, Habitat, Diet, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-23.