This species is found in China (central and southeastern, Hainan), northeast India (Naga Hills near Manipur), northern Myanmar, northern Lao, Taiwan, and northern Viet Nam (Pocock 1941, Wilson and Reeder 2005). Southern China constitutes most of the known range (Neal 1986). There are no recent field records in Lao PDR (Duckworth et al. 1999); though, it was previously assessed as very common around Xiangkhouang and Phongsali (Osgood 1932, Delacour 1940) and it is possible that recent surveys have not used appropriate methodology to find the species. A study on the ecology of this species took place in Taohong Village, northern Jiangxi Province, about 15 km south of the Yangtze River (29º48'N, 116º40'E) (Wang and Fuller 2003). The southern extent of range into central Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar and potentially Thailand (where mapped by Storz and Wozencraft 1999, apparently predictively) requires further investigation due to confusion with other species, but it appears to go several degrees of latitude further south than is mapped in standard sources, at least in Viet Nam. The species has been found from 700 to 1,524 m in Viet Nam (Roberton et al. in prep). Records in Lao are from high elevations (Osgood 1932). In India it has been found from 50 to 2,000 m (A. Choudhury pers. comm.). In northern Myanmar it is found up to 5,000 ft (Pocock 1941). Thus, in Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Cambodia and India there is continued difficulty of identifying recent records of ferret badgers to species, most of which lack skulls or or did not have the skull characters checked and were not preserved. Hence it is impossible to say anything about this species’s current distribution, status or ecology in these regions.

Melogale moschata and M. personata are very similar in external morphologically, and - and field records, including skin specimens lacking an associated skull, need to be considered as identifiable only as Melogale sp. throughout the parts its range where M. personata is known to occur or might plausibly occur, and only references to skull characteristics should be used for species- level identification. Thus, in Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Cambodia and India there is continued difficulty of identifying recent records of ferret badgers to species, most of which lack skulls or or did not have the skull characters checked and were not preserved. Hence it is impossible to say anything about this species’s current distribution, status or ecology in these regions.

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 (Native ); oriental (Native )

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).

Range mass: 1 to 3 kg.

Range length: 30 to 40 cm.

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

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

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).

Animal Foods: mammals; amphibians; insects; terrestrial worms

Plant Foods: fruit

Primary Diet: omnivore

Chinese ferret badgers probably affect populations of invertebrates and small mammals upon which they feed.

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).

Melogale moschata preys on:
Annelida
Insecta
Amphibia
Mammalia

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

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).

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 10 to 17 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 10.5 years.

Maximum longevity: 19 years (captivity) Observations: One wild born specimen was about 19 years old when it died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

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).

Breeding season: Births peak in May and June, and then again in September and October.

Range number of offspring: 2 to 3.

Average weaning age: 2-3 months.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous

Average number of offspring: 2.5.

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

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

The Chinese ferret badger is listed in Schedule I part I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (Hussain 2001).

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

No negative impact on humans has been noted for this species.

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