Geographic Range
Chinese ferret badgers ( Melogale moschata ) are found from Assam to central China and northern Indochina, as well as in Taiwan, and Hainar (Jones, 1982).
- Biogeographic Regions
- palearctic
- oriental
Habitat
Melogale moschata
live in tropical and subtropical forests, and can also be found in grasslands (Hussain,
2001).
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- forest
- rainforest
Physical Description
M. moschata is the smallest badger. They can weigh from 1 to 3 kg and range in length from 30 to 40 cm (Barnhart, 2001). The dorsal color has phases that vary from dark chocolate-brown, to fawn-brown, to grayish-brown. The underside can vary from white to orange. The face is black with a white forehead, which borders a dark, variable "mask." This species has a characteristic long bushy tail, large ears, and a slender body. The fur of Chinese ferret badgers is short. There usually is a stripe down the middle of the back and a spot on the crown of the head (Long, 1993). They also have elongated, strong fore claws needed for digging (Lekagul, 1977).
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- bilateral symmetry
Reproduction
The mating system of this species is not known.
Chinese ferret badgers give birth to cubs, which can be born year round, but usually arrive in late spring (May or June) and again in late fall (September and October). On average, two to three cubs make up a litter. These litters are born in burrows. The mother feeds the cubs until they are two to three months of age (Barnhart, 2001).
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- year-round breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- viviparous
The mother cares for her cubs in a den until they are 2 to 3 months old. She protects them and provides them with milk.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
Lifespan/Longevity
In captivity, Chinese ferret badgers have been known to live up to 10 years (Jackson, 2001), and one Chinese ferret badger in captivity lived for 17 years (Jones, 1982).
Behavior
These animals are active during the night (Jackson, 2001). Some live in holes excavated either by themselves or by other animals, whereas others live in rock crevices (Barnhart, 2001). Chinese ferret badgers have claws that are great for climbing, and often sleep in the branches of trees (Jackson, 2001). Their home ranges are typically from 4 to 9 hectares in size.
Communication and Perception
Food Habits
Melogale moschata is an omnivore. The diet consists of small rodents, insects, amphibians, invertebrates, and occasionally fruit. The most important food items eaten by ferret badgers are earthworms, insects, and amphibians (Chuang and Lee, 1997; Chien et al., 1976).
- Primary Diet
- omnivore
- Animal Foods
- mammals
- amphibians
- insects
- terrestrial worms
- Plant Foods
- fruit
Predation
Specific reports of predation upon ferret badgers are lacking. However, some think that because of the small size of M. moschata , they could be vulnerable to predation by larger carnivores. Chinese ferret badgers will fiercely defend themselves if attacked and also emit a strong odorous secretion from their anal glands (Jackson, 2001).
Ecosystem Roles
Chinese ferret badgers probably affect populations of invertebrates and small mammals upon which they feed.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
People like these animals around because they feed on certain pest insects such as cockroaches (Nowak, 1999). Some people, such as members of the Bhotia and the Lepha tribes, encourage Chinese ferret badgers to come into their huts (Barnhart, 2001).
- Positive Impacts
- controls pest population
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
No negative impact on humans has been noted for this species.
Conservation Status
The Chinese ferret badger is listed in Schedule I part I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (Hussain 2001).
Additional Links
Contributors
Robert Seefeldt (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Chris Yahnke (editor), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
- Palearctic
-
living in the northern part of the Old World. In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- year-round breeding
-
breeding takes place throughout the year
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- internal fertilization
-
fertilization takes place within the female's body
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- omnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Barnhart, D. 2001. "Species Data" (On-line). Accessed October 27, 2001 at http://badgerinfo.com/ferretbadger.html .
Chien, G., H. Sheng, P. Wang. 1976. Winter diet of the ferret badger. Chinese Journal of Zoology , 1: 37.
Chuang, S., L. Lee. 1997. Food Habits of Three Carnivore Species. Journal of Zoology , 243:(1): 71-79.
Hussain, S. 1999. "Small-toothed ferret badger Melogale moschata Gray 1831" (On-line). Mustelids, Viverrids and Herpestids of India: Species Profile and Conservation Status. Accessed April 20, 2005 at http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/envisdec99/smalltootchbadger.htm .
Jackson, S. 1998. "The Ferret Badgers (Melogale spp.): Fact File - About the Ferret Badgers." (On-line). Accessed October 27, 2001 at http://www.badgers.org.uk/badgerpages/ferret-badgers-01.html .
Jones, M. 1982. Longevity of Captive Mammals. Zoology , 52: 113-128.
Lekagul, B., J. McNeely. 1988. Mammals of Thailand . Bangkok: Association for the Conservation of Wildlife.
Long, C., C. Killingley. 1993. The Badgers of the World . Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
Nowak, R. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition . Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.