Melogale moschata Melogale personata

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Mustelidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 564-656 : 635-636

18.

Small-toothed Ferret-badger

Melogale moschata

M.o. Subspecies and Distribution. M. o. orientalis onmtalu Horsfield Horsfield,, 182 1821 - E Java and Bali.

French: Mélogale de Chine / German: China-Sonnendachs / Spanish: Melandro chino

Other common names: Chinese Ferret-badger

M. o. sundaicus Sody, 1937 — W Java.

Taxonomy. Helictis moschata Gray, 1831 , S China.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 35-40 cm,

tail 16-17 cm; weight about 2 kg. The Javan Ferret-badger has a small, slender body, and a long snout. The pelage is dark brown, with paler undersides. The head is black with a facial mask consisting of white or yellow patches. The skull is small.

Six subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M. m. moschata Gray, 1831 — SE China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan & Hainan I) and N Laos.

Habitat. Forests and grasslands.

Food and Feeding. Said to be omnivorous.

Activity patterns. Reported to be nocturnal.

M. m. ferreogrisea Hilzheimer, 1905 — C China.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Terrestrial, but also said to be an agile tree climber.

M. m. millsi Thomas, 1922 — S China ( NW Yunnan) through N Myanmar to NE India.

Breeding. Littersize is said to vary from one to three.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient in The IUCN Red List. Recorded recently in Central Java (perhaps Dieng Plateau), Gunung Halimun Nature Reserve, and Gunung Gede. Very little is known about this species and field studies are needed to learn more aboutits natural history, ecology, and conservation status.

M. m. sorella G. M.. Allen, 1929 — E China (Fujian).

M. m. subaurantiaca Swinhoe, 1862 — Taiwan.

M. m. taxilla Thomas, 1925 — Vietnam.

Bibliography. IUCN (2008), Lekagul & McNeeley (1991), Long (1992), Long & Killingley (1983), Neal & Cheeseman (1996), Pocock (1941a), Riffel (1991), Wozencraft (2005).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 30-40 cm, tail 10-15 cm; weight 0.8-1.6 kg. The tail is less than half of the head and body length. The Small-toothed Ferret-badger has a small, slender body and a long snout. The pelage varies from gray to black, with the darker fur contrasting with the light patches on the neck and head. The head has a distinct blackand-white pattern, generally with more black than the Large-toothed Ferret-badger but this is quite variable. The white stripe on the top of the head is narrow and incomplete and rarely extends past the shoulders. The tail is bushy, pale brown in color, and with a white tip. The limbs are short, and the feet have strong, thick, fairly straight claws. There are two pairs of mammae. The skull is long, high, and smooth, with widely separated temporal ridges. Dental formula: 13/3, C1/1, P 4/4, M 1/2 = 38. The teeth are relatively small, compared to Large-toothed Ferret-badger, with distinct gaps between the premolars. In the upper jaw: labial edge of P* is slightly concave; P* length over 6 mm; P' is slightly smaller than P*. In the lower jaw: M, talonid is without distinct cusps.

20.

Large-toothed Ferret-badger

Melogale personata

French: Mélogale indien / German: Burma-Sonnendachs / Spanish: Melandro birmano

Other common names: Burmese Ferret-badger

Taxonomy. Melogale personata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831, Southern Burma.

Three subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M. p. personata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831 — NE India to S Myanmar and Thailand.

Habitat. Tropical and subtropical forests, wooded hillsides, grasslands, and cultivated areas. Often occurs in close proximity to humans.

M. p. nipalensis Hodgson, 1836 — Nepal.

M. p. pierrei Bonhote, 1903 — Cambodia, China, Laos, and Vietnam.

Food and Feeding. The diet is said to include invertebrates (insects, earthworms), small mammals, birds, frogs, lizards, eggs, and fruits. In Taiwan, invertebrates had a relative importance index of 89%. In China, 163 scats contained 33% seeds and at least eight plant species. Small-toothed Ferret-badgers find food mainly by smell and sound and use their digging claws and probing snouts to dig for roots and earthworms.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal and crepuscular. Active year-round, but less active during the winter months. During the spring, both sexes are active outside their burrows for around eight hours; during the winter this decreases to less than six-and-a-half hours. Rest sites are in burrows, rock crevices, or in trees. In south-east China, radio-collared Small-toothed Ferret-badgers used a variety of shelters as daybeds including rodent dens (47%), firewood stacks (20%), open fields (17%), and rock piles around houses (5%). The distance between daily resting sites averaged 101 m and they often (51% of occasions) returned to rest sites used the previous day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Small-toothed Ferret-badgers are solitary and mainly terrestrial, but they may climb trees. In south-east China, the size of resting home ranges (daybed locations only) of six radio-collared individuals averaged 11 ha (range 1-25 ha); no sex-specific differences in home range size were detected.

Breeding. Mating occurs in March. In south-east China, capture data suggests that Small-toothed Ferret-badgers give birth in May. Gestation is from 60 to 80 days. Litter size is usually one to four. The young are born blind and well-furred; the eyes remain closed for at least two weeks. There is one record of a female still nursing two nearly full-grown young in June.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Very little is known about Small-toothed Ferret-badgers and more field studies are needed to learn more about their natural history, ecology, and conservation status. In Laos and Vietnam, there is often some confusion between Small-toothed and Large-toothed Ferret Badgers, so careful distinction between these two species needs to be made in these two countries. Small-toothed Ferret-badgers are hunted for their fur and meat in China and north-east India; in China, their fur is used for collars and jackets.

Bibliography. Allen (1929), Francis (2008), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Neal (1986), Storz & Wozencraft (1999), Wang & Fuller (2003a), Wozencraft (2005, 2008), Zhou et al. (2008).

19.

Javan Ferret-badger

Melogale orientalis

French: Mélogale de Java / German: Java-Sonnendachs / Spanish: Melandro javanés

Taxonomy. Gulo orientalis Horsfield, 1821 , Java

Descriptive notes. Head-body 35-40 cm, tail 15-21 cm; weight 1.5-3 kg. The tail is over half the head and body length. The Large-toothed Ferret-badger has a small, slender body and a long snout. The pelage is coarse, thick and short, and varies from fawn brown to dark brown. The sides of the body are heavily frosted white, contrasting slightly with the darker back. The white stripe on the back of the neck extends at least to the middle of the back, and often as far as the base of the tail. The head has a distinct pattern of black (or dark brown) and white patches, which varies among individuals. The bushy tail is pale and usually white on the distal half. The sagittal crest on the skull is large and low. Dental formula: 1 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 1/2 = 38. The teeth are larger than Small-toothed Ferret-badger, especially P*. In the upper jaw: P* length over 8 mm; P' is significantly smaller than P=.

Habitat. Reported to live in forests, grasslands, and agricultural areas.

Food and Feeding. The diet is said to include insects, earthworms, snails, small vertebrates (lizards, frogs, rodents, small birds), fruit, nuts, and eggs.

Activity patterns. Reported to be nocturnal. Rests in underground burrows or under rocks during the day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Believed to be solitary. Mainly terrestrial, but also said to be an agile tree climber.

Breeding. Litter size is reported to be up to three, with the young usually born in May and June.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient in The IUCN Red List. Very little is known about this species and field studies are needed to learn more about its natural history, ecology, and conservation status. In Laos and Vietnam, there is often some confusion between Small-toothed and Large-toothed Ferret Badgers, so careful distinction between these two species needs to be made in these two countries.

Bibliography. Francis (2008), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Long & Killingley (1983), Neal & Cheeseman (1996), Pocock (1941a), Wozencraft (2005, 2008).

20.

Large-toothed Ferret-badger

Melogale personata

French: Mélogale indien / German: Burma-Sonnendachs / Spanish: Melandro birmano

Other common names: Burmese Ferret-badger

Taxonomy. Melogale personata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831, Southern Burma.

Three subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M. p. personata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831 — NE India to S Myanmar and Thailand.

Habitat. Tropical and subtropical forests, wooded hillsides, grasslands, and cultivated areas. Often occurs in close proximity to humans.

M. p. nipalensis Hodgson, 1836 — Nepal.

M. p. pierrei Bonhote, 1903 — Cambodia, China, Laos, and Vietnam.

Food and Feeding. The diet is said to include invertebrates (insects, earthworms), small mammals, birds, frogs, lizards, eggs, and fruits. In Taiwan, invertebrates had a relative importance index of 89%. In China, 163 scats contained 33% seeds and at least eight plant species. Small-toothed Ferret-badgers find food mainly by smell and sound and use their digging claws and probing snouts to dig for roots and earthworms.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal and crepuscular. Active year-round, but less active during the winter months. During the spring, both sexes are active outside their burrows for around eight hours; during the winter this decreases to less than six-and-a-half hours. Rest sites are in burrows, rock crevices, or in trees. In south-east China, radio-collared Small-toothed Ferret-badgers used a variety of shelters as daybeds including rodent dens (47%), firewood stacks (20%), open fields (17%), and rock piles around houses (5%). The distance between daily resting sites averaged 101 m and they often (51% of occasions) returned to rest sites used the previous day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Small-toothed Ferret-badgers are solitary and mainly terrestrial, but they may climb trees. In south-east China, the size of resting home ranges (daybed locations only) of six radio-collared individuals averaged 11 ha (range 1-25 ha); no sex-specific differences in home range size were detected.

Breeding. Mating occurs in March. In south-east China, capture data suggests that Small-toothed Ferret-badgers give birth in May. Gestation is from 60 to 80 days. Litter size is usually one to four. The young are born blind and well-furred; the eyes remain closed for at least two weeks. There is one record of a female still nursing two nearly full-grown young in June.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Very little is known about Small-toothed Ferret-badgers and more field studies are needed to learn more about their natural history, ecology, and conservation status. In Laos and Vietnam, there is often some confusion between Small-toothed and Large-toothed Ferret Badgers, so careful distinction between these two species needs to be made in these two countries. Small-toothed Ferret-badgers are hunted for their fur and meat in China and north-east India; in China, their fur is used for collars and jackets.

Bibliography. Allen (1929), Francis (2008), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Neal (1986), Storz & Wozencraft (1999), Wang & Fuller (2003a), Wozencraft (2005, 2008), Zhou et al. (2008).

19.

Javan Ferret-badger

Melogale orientalis

French: Mélogale de Java / German: Java-Sonnendachs / Spanish: Melandro javanés

Taxonomy. Gulo orientalis Horsfield, 1821 , Java

Descriptive notes. Head-body 35-40 cm, tail 15-21 cm; weight 1.5-3 kg. The tail is over half the head and body length. The Large-toothed Ferret-badger has a small, slender body and a long snout. The pelage is coarse, thick and short, and varies from fawn brown to dark brown. The sides of the body are heavily frosted white, contrasting slightly with the darker back. The white stripe on the back of the neck extends at least to the middle of the back, and often as far as the base of the tail. The head has a distinct pattern of black (or dark brown) and white patches, which varies among individuals. The bushy tail is pale and usually white on the distal half. The sagittal crest on the skull is large and low. Dental formula: 1 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 1/2 = 38. The teeth are larger than Small-toothed Ferret-badger, especially P*. In the upper jaw: P* length over 8 mm; P' is significantly smaller than P=.

Habitat. Reported to live in forests, grasslands, and agricultural areas.

Food and Feeding. The diet is said to include insects, earthworms, snails, small vertebrates (lizards, frogs, rodents, small birds), fruit, nuts, and eggs.

Activity patterns. Reported to be nocturnal. Rests in underground burrows or under rocks during the day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Believed to be solitary. Mainly terrestrial, but also said to be an agile tree climber.

Breeding. Litter size is reported to be up to three, with the young usually born in May and June.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient in The IUCN Red List. Very little is known about this species and field studies are needed to learn more about its natural history, ecology, and conservation status. In Laos and Vietnam, there is often some confusion between Small-toothed and Large-toothed Ferret Badgers, so careful distinction between these two species needs to be made in these two countries.

Bibliography. Francis (2008), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Long & Killingley (1983), Neal & Cheeseman (1996), Pocock (1941a), Wozencraft (2005, 2008).

Figures

17. Bornean Ferret-badger (Melogale everetti), 18. Small-toothed Ferret-badger (Melogale moschata), 19. Javan Ferret-badger (Melogale orientalis), 20. Large-toothed Ferret-badger (Melogale personata), 21. Lesser Grison (Galictis cuja), 22. Greater Grison (Galictis vittata), 23. Marbled Polecat (Vormela peregusna), 24. Saharan Striped Polecat (Ictonyx libycus), 25. Zorilla (Ictonyx striatus), 26. African Striped Weasel (Poecilogale albinucha)

Subspecies and Distribution. M. m. moschata Gray, 1831 — SE China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan & Hainan I) and N Laos . Habitat. Forests and grasslands. Food and Feeding. Said to be omnivorous. Activity patterns. Reported to be nocturnal. M. m. ferreogrisea Hilzheimer, 1905 — C China . Movements, Home range and Social organization. Terrestrial, but also said to be an agile tree climber. M. m. millsi Thomas, 1922 — S China ( NW Yunnan) through N Myanmar to NE India . Breeding. Littersize is said to vary from one to three. Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient in The IUCN Red List. Recorded recently in Central Java (perhaps Dieng Plateau), Gunung Halimun Nature Reserve, and Gunung Gede. Very little is known about this species and field studies are needed to learn more aboutits natural history, ecology, and conservation status. M. m. sorella G. M.. Allen, 1929 — E China (Fujian). M. m. subaurantiaca Swinhoe, 1862 — Taiwan . M. m. taxilla Thomas, 1925 — Vietnam .

Subspecies and Distribution. M. p. personata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831 — NE India to S Myanmar and Thailand . Habitat. Tropical and subtropical forests, wooded hillsides, grasslands, and cultivated areas. Often occurs in close proximity to humans. M. p. nipalensis Hodgson, 1836 — Nepal . M. p. pierrei Bonhote, 1903 — Cambodia , China , Laos , and Vietnam .