Chinese Ferret Badger - Melogale moschata
Burmese Ferret Badger - Melogale personata
Everett's Ferret Badger - Melogale  personata

 

Chinese Ferret Badger
Burmese ferret badger image courtesy ofsarakadee.com.

Burmese Ferret Badger
Chinese ferret badger image courtesy ofbadgers.org.uk

 

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Description   

It is the smallest of the badger family, only reaching a  weight of 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg)  to 7 lbs. (3.1 kg).  Their bodies reach a length of 13 inches (33 cm) to 17 inches (43 cm).  They are also called tree badgers, or pahmi.  Aside from the Burmese and Chinese ferret badger there is Everett's ferret badger Melogale  everetti, which is only found on Mount Kinabalu at the northern tip of the island of Borneo.

Reproduction   

Cubs can be born year round, but the average season is in late spring, usually in May or June until late fall, around September and October..  The average litter size is two to three babies.  Ferret badgers are born in burrows and fed by the mother for two to three months.

Habits   

Like other members of the badger family, the Ferret badgers is an omnivore, its diet consists of small rodents, insects and occasionally fruit.  It is almost completely nocturnal.  Most other badgers burrow their own homes, but the ferret badger is known to inhabit burrows made by other animals.  They have also been seen sleeping the tree branches.  The Burmese ferret badger is more of a social creature than it's Chinese counterpart.  They are encouraged by the Burmese to enter their homes to get rid of insects and rodents.

General   

The honey badger's anal glands secrete a vile-smelling liquid to deter its enemies, whereas ferret badgers, the teledu and the Palawan stink badger will squirt the contents of their anal glands into the face of an attacker.  The ferret badger is one of only 13 species in the China - Anhui Province, that is under state protectionand was put on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals in 1996.There are only 8 of these animals listed in zoo’s around the world. The life span is recorded at over 10 years.


Range   

I have been unable to find any information about the range of the Ferret Badger, other than it exist in the Anhui Province of China and in Burma.