Effects of termitarium soil supplementation on fecal microbiota and fecal short-chain fatty acid profiles in captive Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla)

Wild Chinese pangolins ingest soil and nest-associated materials while feeding on ants and termites, but these materials are generally absent from captive diets. We assessed whether termitarium soil supplementation was associated with changes in fecal bacterial communities and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles in captive Chinese pangolins. Four adults participated in a sequential within-subject trial comprising a basal diet, a basal diet supplemented with sterilized termitarium soil, and a basal diet supplemented with unsterilized termitarium soil. Fecal bacterial communities were characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and SCFAs were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Community composition differed across dietary stages, whereas alpha diversity did not. At the genus level, Bacteroides abundance was lower during the sterilized-soil stage, whereas Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia abundance was higher during the unsterilized-soil stage than during the basal-diet stage. Relative to the basal-diet stage, both soil-supplemented stages had lower fecal concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate. Partial redundancy analysis showed an overall association between the SCFA profile and the selected bacterial genera. PICRUSt2-based predictions also differed across dietary stages, particularly for Xenobiotics Biodegradation and Metabolism. Overall, termitarium soil supplementation was associated with variation in fecal bacterial composition, SCFA concentrations, and predicted functional potential in captive Chinese pangolins. These findings provide a basis for further research on the role of soil-associated materials in the dietary management of captive pangolins.