Manis temminckii
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii), also known as Temminck's pangolin, Cape pangolin or steppe pangolin is a species of pangolin from genus Smutsia of subfamily Smutsiinae the within family Manidae. It is one of four species of pangolins which can be found in Africa, and the only one in southern and eastern Africa. The animal was named for the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.
Pangolins are almost completely covered in overlapping, protective scales, which makes up about 20% of their body weight. The scales are composed of keratin, the same material that forms human hair and fingernails, and give pangolins an appearance similar to a pinecone or artichoke. The underside of a pangolin is not covered with scales, but sparse fur, instead. When threatened, it usually rolls up into a ball, thus protecting its vulnerable belly.
Pangolins are 30 to 90 cm (12 to 35 in) long exclusive of the tail and weigh from 5 to 27 kg (11 to 60 lb). Across all eight species, adult tail length ranges from about 26 to 70 cm (10 to 28 in). Mature adults are light brown, olive, and dark brown in color, while young are pale brown or pink in color.
Ground pangolins walk on... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 2 | Zoológico de Concepción | 🇨🇱 Chile |
No species of the same family or order lives in Gorongosa National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Temminck's Ground Pangolin sighting in Gorongosa National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 23 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Temminck's Ground Pangolin in Gorongosa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and December, the lowest months. That is one of Gorongosa National Park's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against 15 mm in May. January has too few records to rate.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Temminck's Ground Pangolin sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Temminck's Ground Pangolin sightings, Gorongosa National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Kruger National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Temminck's Ground Pangolin is recorded against all the mammals logged in Gorongosa National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
