Abstract:
An accurate morphological description and analysis based on reliable data are unavailable
for the geographically isolated population of M. crassicaudata in Sri Lanka. This study provides
the most updated morphological description of M. crassicaudata with special reference to body
measurements directly obtained from 27 specimens collected island-wide. Morphological parameters
were recorded under three age classes that were defined based on their body weight (BW) and
total body length (TBL); juvenile (BW: <4.3 kg TBL: <56.0 cm), subadult (BW: 4.3–7.3 kg TBL: 56–
101 cm), and adult (BW: >7.3 kg TBL: >101 cm) and gender to reveal sexual dimorphism based on
morphometric parameters. The TBL of adult males ranged between 137 and 177 cm while body
weight ranged between 20.4 and 48.8 kg. The average count of body scales was 511 21. The body
scales were found arranged in 13 longitudinal rows with the highest number of scales observed
on the vertebral scale row (16 1). Three major scale morphs were identified; broad rhombic
scales, elongated kite-shaped scales, and folded shaped scales. Broad rhombic shaped scales was the
dominant scale type (80.49%) on the body (405 7). The tail-length to body-length ratio of an Indian
pangolin was 0.87. The tail length of an Indian pangolin is a reliable predictor of the TBL and has
potential implications in quick field data gathering.
