title: A note on captive breeding and reproductive parameters of the Chinese pangolin,Manis pentadactylaLinnaeus, 1758.
abstract: The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactylaLinnaeus, 1758) is a critically endangered species, and documents on its captive breeding and reproductive parameters are scarce. MP8, kept in the Pangolin Research Base for Artificial Rescue and Conservation Breeding of South China Normal University (the PRB-SCNU), gave birth to a male offspring (MP86) on 19 October 2011. The baby pangolin was well developed, with a weight of 120 g and a total length of 23.2 cm. The gestation length of MP8 was estimated to be from 182 to 225d. Reproductive parameters of the Chinese pangolin are discussed based on collected data about this species. The Chinese pangolin has an obvious reproductive seasonality and its gestation length is typically six to seven months. In this observation, estrus and mating principally occurred in a one-year period from February to July. Parturition principally took place from September to February of the next year. Chinese pangolins usually give birth to one offspring at a time (n = 27). Sex ratio at birth was 0.71:1 (♀:♂, n = 12). Average weight for the reproducible females was 3.57 ± 1.38 kg (2.14-6.8 kg, n = 15). We estimated that Chinese pangolins could reach sexual maturity before they were one year old.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fuhua
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shibao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Cuiyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qiaoyun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shaoshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ruyong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sun
keywords: Age of sexual maturity; Pholidota; birth record; breeding season; gestation period; parturition