Mydaus javanensis (Desmarest, 1820)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5684751 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5700785 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC87EC-9125-FB57-FF35-FDCBFA8BDFF8 |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Mydaus javanensis |
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Sunda Stink Badger
French: Télagon de Java / German: Sunda-Stinkdachs / Spanish: Melandro indonesio
Other common names: Malayan Stink Badger, Sunda Stink Badger, Teledu
Taxonomy. Mephitis javanensis Desmarest, 1820 View in CoL ,
“Tile de Java ”. [ Indonesia, Java].
Three subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
M. j. javanensis Desmarest, 1820 — Java, Sumatra.
M. j. lucifer Thomas, 1902 — Borneo.
M. j. ollula Thomas, 1902 — Bunguran I, Natuna I. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 37-52 cm, tail 3.4-7.5 cm; weight 1.4-3.6 kg. Stink badgers are brownish-black in color with a white patch on the head. They have thick, coarse fur that gets thinner on the sides and belly. There is a narrow white stripe along the back down to the tail. This stripe sometimesis only partial, and variable. It can run from head to tail, but also can be interrupted. These stink badgers are small with stout bodies. The nose is long, mobile, and sparsely haired. The legs are short and strong. Sunda Stink Badger has larger ears and a longertail than Palawan Stink Badger. These stink badgers also have well-developed anal scent glands. The skull shows a long rostrum and is rounded with a large braincase. The coronoid process of the lower jaw is recurved.
Habitat. Sunda Stink Badgeris reported to occur in montane regions above 2100 meters, but it has been seen at lower elevations (almost to sea level) as well. On Borneo this species reportedly inhabits caves. However, they also are known to burrow into the ground to den. They occur in secondary forests and open grounds adjacent to forests.
Food and Feeding. Captive stink badgers have been observed to consume worms, insects, and the entrails of chickens. Stink badgers in the wild are omnivorous, and consume eggs, carrion, and some vegetable material, in addition to worms and insects. Sunda Stink Badger, when foraging, uses its snout and claws for rooting in the soil in search of food.
Activity patterns. Stink badgers are active year-round. They are nocturnal. During the day they shelter in underground burrows that they dig, or they use burrows dug by other animals. Burrows normally are 60 cm deep.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Sunda Stink Badger may “growl” and attempt to bite when handled. If threatened, a stink badger raisesits tail and ejects a pale greenish noxious fluid. Natives report that this secretion can blind or even asphyxiate dogs. Some natives reportedly have been rendered unconscious after being sprayed by the musk. The anal scent glands are used primarily for defense. Little has been reported about the size of home ranges and the animals’ movement within them. However, it has been reported that these stink badgers may live in pairs.
Breeding. Sunda Stink Badgers have two inguinal and four pectoral mammae. Natives report that stink badgers may produce 2-3 young. Litters are probably reared in a burrow.
Status and Conservation. Not listed with CITES. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. They have been known to cause damage in plantations by digging up seedlings, and have been killed as pests for this reason. The old Javanese sultans used the musk, in suitable dilution, in the manufacture of perfumes. Some natives eat the flesh of Mydaus , removing the scent glands immediately after the animals are killed. Others mix shavings of the skin with water and drink the mixture as a cure for fever or rheumatism.
Bibliography. Chasen (1940), Davis (1962), Forbes (1879), Hwang & Lariviere (2003), Jentink (1895), Kloss (1927), Long (1978), Long & Killingley (1983), Lonnberg & Mjoberg (1925), Moulton (1921), Thomas (1902b).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.