The Himalayan Pangolin:
International researchers have revalidated the Himalayan pangolin (Manis aurita) as a distinct extant species, rather than a subspecies of the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).The Himalayan pangolin (Manis aurita) is a newly revalidated, unique species of scaly mammal belonging to the family Manidae. Like all pangolins, it is a highly specialized, nocturnal, and olfactory-reliant insectivore that plays a critical ecological role in regulating forest insect populations. Strictly restricted to the southern Himalayan foothills. Confirmed populations exist across Nepal (particularly around the Kathmandu Valley), South Tibet, and Northeast India (including the state of Assam).
Major geographic features like the Brahmaputra River drainage basin and the Arakan Mountains acted as natural barriers, enforcing millions of years of evolutionary isolation from other Asian pangolins.
