Formosan ferret-badger

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Formosan ferret-badger
Illustration by Joseph Wolf
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Melogale
Species:
M. subaurantiaca
Binomial name
Melogale subaurantiaca
(Swinhoe, 1862)[1]

The Formosan ferret-badger (Melogale subaurantiaca) is a mustelid species endemic to Taiwan.

Taxonomy

It was formerly thought to be conspecific with the Chinese ferret-badger (M. moschata), but a 2019 genetic study found it to represent a distinct species, and the American Society of Mammalogists later reclassified it as a distinct species.[2] However, many authorities like the IUCN Red List still consider it conspecific with M. moschata.[3]

Distribution

The species is endemic to the island of Taiwan.[4]

Reproduction

Male Formosan ferret-badgers produce sperm between the months of February and September, and mate with females between March and October. The species is thought to have a litter size of two, and breeds once a year.[5]

Threats

A 2015 study analyzing specimens of M. subaurantiaca collected between 2010 and 2013 found evidence of rabies in just under half of the sampled individuals, indicating that a rabies epidemic hit the species at some point prior to the study.[6] This was the first time rabies had been detected on Taiwan since it was declared rabies-free in 1961. The species is now thought to be a reservoir species for the rabies virus on Taiwan, and as of 2019, it has become an epidemic in eastern Taiwan; however, epidemics in western and southern Taiwan had subsided by then. Aside from the threats posed to the species, there have been reports of spillover from the ferret-badgers to pets and humans. Vaccination will be necessary to serve as a barrier to the disease and prevent further spillover.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Swinhoe, R. (1862). "On the mammals of the island of Formosa (China)". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1862: 355.
  2. S2CID 189763275
    .
  3. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41626A45209676.en
    .
  4. ^ "Melogale subaurantiaca (Swinhoe, 1862)". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
  5. S2CID 67805605
    .
  6. S2CID 33882859
    .
  7. ISSN 0125-6491
    .
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