Smelly badgers
| Smelly badgers | ||||||||||||
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Sunda stink badger ( Mydaus javanensis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Mydaus | ||||||||||||
| F. Cuvier , 1825 |
The stink badgers ( Mydaus ) are a species of predator that lives in Southeast Asia . In the past they were considered to be representatives of the badgers (Melinae), but genetic studies have shown that they are more closely related to the Skunks (Mephitinae), a group of predators that otherwise only live in America. They are named for their ability to inject stinking secretions from the anal glands at an attacker. There are two kinds:
- The Sunda stink badger ( Mydaus javanensis ) lives on Sumatra , Borneo and Java .
- The Palawan stink badger ( Mydaus marchei ) is on the Philippines -Insel Palawan home and small islands.
features
Stink badgers are dark brown to black in color. The Sunda stink badger has a white stripe on the back from the top of the head to the base of the tail, while the Palawan stink badger has only a single yellowish spot on the top. The long muzzle is posable, the legs are short, and the tail is just a stub. These animals reach a head body length of 32 to 51 centimeters, a tail length of 2 to 8 centimeters and a weight of 1.4 to 3.6 kilograms.
Way of life
According to reports, the Sunda stink badger is nocturnal while the Palawan stink badger can forage both day and night. They retire to rest in self-dug burrows, sometimes they also occupy burrows of porcupines . The diet of these animals consists of worms, insects and vegetable matter.
The secretion from the anal glands can be sprayed at a distance of one and a half meters. It is used specifically and if it hits the eyes, it can cause blindness.
Systematics
The following two recent species belong to the genus of stink badgers :
| German name | Scientific name | distribution | Hazard level Red List of IUCN |
Remarks | image |
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| Sunda stink badger |
Mydaus javanensis ( Desmarest , 1820) |
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 ( Least Concern - not at risk)
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3 subspecies Lives on Java , Sumatra , the Natuna Islands and Borneo |
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| Palawan smelly badger |
Mydaus marchei ( Huet , 1887) |
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( Least Concern - not at risk)
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monotypically Lives in Palawan |
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Phylogenetic systematics of the Skunks
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The first scientific description of the genus comes from Frédéric Cuvier in 1825, who chose Mydaus meliceps , which he also first described in that year, as the type species . This was synonymous with the Sunda stink badger ( Mydaus javanensis ) .
Within the more recent genera of the Skunks, the stink badgers represent the most primitive genus and are compared to all other Skunks living today as the most primitive group. The time when the stink badgers separated from the American taxa was about 20.7 million years ago.
Danger
The meat of the badger is sometimes eaten, with the animals having their anal glands removed. The main threat, however, comes from the destruction of their habitat. Both species are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN .
supporting documents
- ↑ Mydaus javanensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008 Posted by: B. Long, J. Hon, MJ Azlan, JW Duckworth, 2008. Accessed 28 December 2011 ..
- ↑ a b Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Mephitidae in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ↑ Mydaus marchei in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008 Posted by: B. Tabaranza, L. Ruedas, P. Widmann, J. Esselstyn, 2008. Accessed 28 December 2011 ..
- ↑ a b Katrin Nyakatura, Olaf RP Bininda-Emonds: Updating the evolutionary history of Carnivora (Mammalia): a new species-level supertree complete with divergence time estimates. BMC Biology 10, 2012. doi : 10.1186 / 1741-7007-10-12
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Mydaus in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 (English).
- Wilson, DE, and DM Reeder: Mammal Species of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4
