This species is native to Indian subcontinent and occurs mainly in India and Sri Lanka having a sporadic occurrence in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is a generalist in terms of its habitat preference and can be found in deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, secondary forests, grasslands, rocky habitats, and scrublands. It is adapted to live in dry as well as in wet conditions and can survive at high elevations up to 2300 m. It is a fossorial species, that prefers sandy and soft soil to make burrows. It is a solitary species that feeds largely on insects mainly ants and termites (hence the common name). 

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).


According to IUCN Red List assessment, population of this species is declining all over its range at an alarming rate. This species is recently listed as one of the most trafficked species in the world. There is little knonw about its popoulation owing to its shy and strict nocturnal habits which is vaguely estimated to be between 0.1 and 6 individuals per sq. km. It is estimated that about 80% of its global population is lost recently in one decade.
Major threat to its survival come from illegal trafficking. It is estimated that about 3,00,000 individuals were trafficked globally in last 20 years. Apart from hunting and trapping for its scales and meat, habitat loss and fragmentation due to various anthropogenic activities has contributed to its steady decline.