Ueno Zoo A pair of civet pairs are now available at "Nocturnal House."

The civet is a mammal of the order Scales. They are distributed in Africa and Asia, and the species that came to Ueno Zoo this time is Chinese Pangolin, which inhabits the forests of Asia, including southern China and Taiwan.

The civet's back is covered with hard scales, and it protects itself from foreign enemies by curling up its body. They also have no teeth and are characterized by a long tongue specialized for catching termites and other prey. The large claws on their forelimbs help them to break down ant mounds and rotting wood when searching for food, and to dig burrows. Despite appearances, they are good tree climbers and use their tails dexterously to climb up and down trees. Because they feed on termites, their body features resemble those of armadillos and anteaters, but they belong to a different group.
Their meat is in high demand for food and their scales for use in Chinese medicine and crafts, and there is concern that overhunting may lead to a decline in their population.

Currently, two animals are kept and exhibited in the same space at "Nocturnal House". The exhibit space that previously housed the Javan white-tailed deer and slow loris has been modified to the specifications of the Chinese bamboo partridge, with the floor covered with soil and lots of rice straw. Now that the animals have become accustomed to their new surroundings, they can be seen climbing up thin trees, digging in the soil, and sleeping curled up in the straw.

At Nocturnal House, the animals are fed dog food, mainly okara, yogurt, apples, and frozen ants twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. At first glance, the animals look like any other animals, but in fact they are eating with their tongues, moving in and out of the food with great effort. We are planning to make some adjustments so that you can see how they use their tongues to eat their food.

From Tokyo Zoo Net BB's video
From BB's video Chinese Pangolin (taken in March, 2004)
​Chinese Pangolin 's eating scene" (taken in Dec. 2008)

Photo: A pair of newcomers

[Ueno Zoo East Garden Breeding and Exhibiting Section, Ayumi Ichikawa]

(December 07, 2012)