Pangolin Sleep Patterns, Denning Behaviour and Shelter Selection

Published 7 June 2026 | 9 min read

Pangolins spend the majority of their lives hidden from view. As secretive, solitary mammals, they depend on reliable shelter to survive predation, regulate body temperature and rear their young. Yet denning behaviour remains one of the least studied aspects of their biology. What we do know reveals surprising flexibility: different species choose vastly different shelter types, and individual preferences shift with the seasons.

For conservationists protecting these heavily trafficked animals, denning data shapes everything from habitat management to population survey design. This article examines sleep patterns, den types and shelter selection across pangolin species, with particular attention to Temminck's ground pangolin in southern Africa.

Diurnal vs Nocturnal Activity Across Species

All eight pangolin species are predominantly nocturnal, but the degree to which they restrict activity to darkness varies considerably between ground-dwelling and arboreal forms.

Ground pangolins

The four ground pangolin species — Temminck's ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii), the giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea), the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) — are strictly nocturnal under typical conditions. However, GPS telemetry studies in the Kalahari and Limpopo have documented a shift toward diurnal activity during cold winter months, when night-time temperatures drop below the threshold at which foraging remains energetically viable. This plasticity is closely linked to thermoregulation and cold survival strategies.

Tree pangolins

The four arboreal species — including the white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) and the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) — are also primarily nocturnal. They rest in tree hollows or dense vegetation during the day, descending at night to forage along trunks and branches. Occasional daytime activity has been recorded in undisturbed forest habitats, but these observations remain uncommon.

Den and Shelter Types

Pangolins use four broad categories of resting shelter. The type selected depends on the species, habitat and local availability of natural structures.

Self-excavated burrows

Ground pangolins are capable diggers. Using their powerful forelimbs and sturdy claws, they excavate burrows consisting of a single tunnel leading to an enlarged resting chamber. In the sandy soils of the Kalahari, Temminck's ground pangolins create burrows extending over a metre in depth, providing effective insulation against both cold nights and hot days.

Appropriated burrows

Rather than always digging their own, ground pangolins frequently occupy burrows excavated by other species. In southern Africa, abandoned aardvark burrows are the most commonly used appropriated shelters, alongside porcupine warrens and springhare holes. This opportunistic use of existing structures is a significant aspect of pangolin burrow ecology and highlights the interconnected nature of burrowing mammal communities.

Tree hollows

Arboreal pangolin species rely primarily on natural tree cavities for daytime rest. These hollows offer protection from predators while keeping the pangolin elevated above ground-level threats. The availability of mature trees with suitable cavities is a limiting factor, meaning that selective logging and forest degradation can disproportionately affect arboreal species.

Leaf nests and surface shelters

Some arboreal pangolins, particularly the white-bellied pangolin, construct rudimentary leaf nests wedged into branch forks or dense vine tangles. Ground pangolins occasionally rest on the surface beneath dense bush cover, especially where burrow availability is limited, though this exposes them to greater predation risk.

Temminck's Ground Pangolin Denning in Southern Africa

Temminck's ground pangolin is the most studied of the African species with respect to denning behaviour, largely because South African and Zimbabwean research programmes have invested in long-term GPS telemetry projects.

In the South African bushveld and Lowveld, Temminck's ground pangolins maintain home ranges containing between 10 and 40 known den sites. Individuals rotate among these dens rather than returning to a fixed location each day. A pangolin may use one burrow for two or three consecutive days, then move several hundred metres to an entirely different den. This rotation is thought to reduce parasite loads and avoid predator ambush strategies.

Den selection is not random. Research from the Limpopo and North West provinces indicates that pangolins preferentially select burrows on sloped terrain with northerly aspects, which receive more winter sun. Soil type also matters: well-drained sandy loam is preferred over clay-heavy substrates that become waterlogged in the wet season.

Seasonal and Temperature-Driven Den Switching

Temperature is the single most important environmental factor influencing den choice. During summer (October to March), Temminck's ground pangolins use a wider variety of den types including shallow scrapes, surface shelters and open-entrance burrows. As winter temperatures decline, they shift to deeper, more insulated burrows. Telemetry data has shown that winter den temperatures remain several degrees warmer than ambient conditions, particularly in deeper aardvark burrows.

This seasonal pattern also affects den switching frequency. In summer, pangolins move between dens more frequently as they range widely in search of active termite and ant colonies. In winter, when foraging bouts are shorter and less frequent, individuals tend to stay in the same den for longer consecutive periods — sometimes remaining underground for two or three days without emerging to feed.

Den Fidelity and Home Range Overlap

Long-term tracking studies reveal that pangolins show moderate den fidelity, returning repeatedly to favoured sites over months or years. However, strict exclusivity is rare. Home ranges of neighbouring individuals often overlap, and shared den use has been documented: two pangolins may use the same burrow on different nights, though simultaneous occupation by unrelated adults is unusual outside the mating season.

Female pangolins with dependent young show the highest den fidelity, often using a single well-protected burrow as a nursery den for several weeks. The young pangolin remains in the den while the mother forages, and the mother returns before dawn to nurse and shelter with her offspring. This concentrated use of nursery dens makes breeding females particularly vulnerable to disturbance at den sites.

How Denning Behaviour Affects Population Surveys

The denning ecology of pangolins creates significant challenges for population monitoring. Because pangolins are solitary, nocturnal and spend most daylight hours underground or hidden in tree cavities, conventional visual survey methods are largely ineffective. Walk-through transect counts, commonly used for other medium-sized mammals, consistently underestimate pangolin numbers.

Den-based survey approaches offer a partial solution. By monitoring known burrow clusters, researchers can estimate minimum population densities. However, the rotation among multiple dens means that counting occupied burrows overestimates abundance unless individual identification is possible. Camera traps at den entrances can distinguish individuals by their unique scale patterning, but this requires substantial equipment investment.

Seasonal shifts in den use further complicate surveys. A site that appears unoccupied in summer may host multiple individuals in winter when they concentrate at deeper, warmer burrows. Survey timing must therefore account for seasonal denning patterns to avoid misleading results.

Conservation Implications: Protecting Den Sites

Den sites represent fixed, identifiable resources that conservationists can actively protect. Unlike foraging areas, which shift as ant and termite colonies fluctuate, favoured den locations remain stable over years. This stability makes den site protection a practical and effective component of pangolin conservation strategies.

In South Africa, several priorities have emerged from denning research. First, maintaining populations of aardvark and other burrowing mammals is essential because their abandoned burrows form the backbone of the pangolin's den network. Habitat management that threatens aardvark populations — such as intensive bush clearing or overgrazing — indirectly harms pangolins. Second, development planning should incorporate setback zones around known den clusters, particularly nursery dens. Third, anti-poaching patrols informed by den location data can focus efforts on the sites where pangolins are most predictably found.

For arboreal species, the priority is protecting mature forest with standing dead wood and large-diameter trees that provide natural cavities. Removing the largest trees from a forest stand eliminates the very structures that pangolins depend on for shelter.

Research Methods for Studying Denning Behaviour

Advances in tracking technology have transformed our understanding of pangolin denning. The primary methods currently in use include the following.

GPS and VHF telemetry

Lightweight GPS tags affixed to dorsal scales allow researchers to log pangolin positions at regular intervals. When an animal remains stationary during daylight hours, the cluster of GPS fixes reveals the den location. VHF radio transmitters complement GPS data by enabling ground-based tracking to confirm den identity. In South Africa, long-term telemetry studies have tracked individual pangolins for 12 months or more, producing detailed maps of den networks.

Camera traps

Motion-activated cameras deployed at burrow entrances record den entry and exit times, providing precise data on activity periods and occupancy duration. Camera traps also capture images of other species using the same burrows, documenting the broader community of den users.

Environmental sensors

Small temperature and humidity loggers placed inside burrows measure the microclimate that pangolins experience at rest. These data are critical for understanding thermoregulatory den selection and for modelling how climate change may alter den site suitability.