Abstract Body temperature is an important parameter for assessing animal health and physiological function. An iButton thermometer was used to measure the body temperatures of three Chinese pangolins ( Manis pentadacyla ) and three Sunda pangolins ( M. javanica ). The body temperature of Chinese pangolins was 33.2 ± 0.95°C (30.6–34.2°C, n = 3) and that of Sunda pangolins was 32.8 ± 0.48°C (31.7–34.2°C, n = 3). The daily variation in body temperature was 1.0–2.9°C in three Chinese pangolins and 1.2–1.9°C in three Sunda pangolins. The body temperature of Sunda pangolins tended to rise at night, with the highest body temperatures occurring mostly at night. This study provides valuable body temperature data for Chinese and Sunda pangolins and lays the foundation for future research on their mechanisms of body temperature regulation.