Hog Badger - Animal | Profile | Traits | Facts | Skull | Baby

(Last Updated On: April 15, 2021)

The hog badger, scientific name Arctonyx collaris, also referred to as the higher hog badger, is a terrestrial mustelid native to Central and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable within the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a result of the worldwide inhabitants is regarded as declining resulting from high ranges of poaching.

The hog badger is lively by day and never very cautious of people. Analysis of quite a few digital camera lure footage from Myanmar presents no peak exercise at both day or night.

Hog Badger Profile

The Greater Hog Badger is a curious and distinctive species that inhabit Southeast Asia’s hill and montane forests (reportedly to 3500 meters) and adjoining habitats.

Though related in size to the more acquainted badgers of Europe and North America, its look is kind of totally different. Most notably, it possesses an elongated pig-like snout and modified teeth that level ahead and are used for turning over the soil.

Its body fur is darkish gray to brownish, and its tail pales yellow to white. The throat and face are white, and there are two thick darkish stripes on the face.

The species is solely nocturnal and feeds primarily on roots, tubers, and fallen fruits. This diet is supplemented by forest flooring invertebrates and small vertebrates if out there. By day it stays concealed in its burrow.

Within the species, there may be important variance in skull form and size, and exterior look, thus three separate species are more and more recognized, particularly Arctonyx collaris (Greater Hog Badger), A. albogularis (Northern Hog Badger), and the smaller A. hoevenii (Sumatran Hog Badger).

Hog Badgers happen in elements of eastern India, central and southern China, Burma, Thailand, Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), and Sumatra. They will not be recorded in Peninsular Malaysia (or Singapore).

Geographic Range

Hog badgers are distributed primarily in Southeast Asia, ranging from Sikkim and northeastern China to Thailand. They are discovered on the Indian subcontinent and the island of Sumatra.

Hog badgers don’t look migratory from winter to summer. They are additionally native to each of the Palearctic and Oriental areas. There was no proof suggesting that they’re an introduced species.

Hog Badger Description

It has medium-length brown hair, a stocky body, a white throat, two black stripes on an elongated white face, and a pink, pig-like snout. The head-and-body size is 55–70 cm (22–28 in), the tail measures 12–17 cm (4.7–6.7 in) and the body weight is 7–14 kg (15–31 lb).

With weights often reported from 8.4 to 12 kg (19 to 26 lb) it is likely one of the world’s largest terrestrial extant mustelids occurring average body mass, maybe behind solely the wolverine and rivaling the European badger (though it isn’t recognized to rival the weights of the latter, better-known badger throughout autumn hypophagia).

Its look typically resembles the European badger, but it’s typically smaller, with bigger claws on the front feet. Its tail has long white hairs, and its front feet have white claws.

Hog Badger Physical Traits

Their fur coloration ranges from a darkish gray to brown, whereas tail coloration ranges from white to a light yellow. Two darkish stripes are discovered on the face, and the throat is white in coloration.

The most notable function is the “pig-like snout” that’s used for feeding, together with modified teeth particularly used to maneuver soil. Tail lengths range from 12 cm to 17 cm (120 mm to 170 mm).

Another notable function used to tell apart hog badgers from the intently associated Eurasian badgers is the color of their claws. Hog badgers have light-colored claws whereas Eurasian badgers have darkish claws.

To distinguish between hog badgers, Sumatran hog badgers, and northern hog badgers, there’s a distinction in skull form and size. No information was discovered on the basal metabolic fee of hog badgers.

However, Eurasian badgers (an intently associated group), have a basal metabolic fee of 1,323 kJ per day. Also, there was little information on sexual dimorphism in hog badgers apart from males are bigger than females.

Distribution and habitat

The hog badger is taken into account pretty widespread in Thailand and in tropical evergreen forests and grasslands of the Terai in north-eastern India and eastern Bangladesh.

It happens in Indochina and in southern China. Its distribution in Myanmar is taken into account patchy. In the Indonesian island of Sumatra, hog badger happens primarily above 2,000 m (6,600 ft) with one report at 700 m (2,300 ft). There is one remoted report in eastern Mongolia.

Behavior

Hog badgers are a motile solitary species, which means they’re discovered to travel by themselves. They are additionally lively at night (nocturnal). Hog badgers usually burrow into the ground (fossorial) to search out meals or to create a habitat.

Hog Badger Reproduction

There is little information recognized on the mating system for hog badgers. However, there may be some information in regards to the badgers, otters, weasels family. Males start their sexual seasons before the females, and due to this fact, provoke breeding. This is usually completed by first acquiring territory.

The breeding interval happens from April to September, with the gestation interval being 5 to 9.5 months long. Their litter size is 2 to 4 cubs.

Although there isn’t information recognized in regards to the sexual maturity of the 2 sexes, the information in regards to the badgers, otters, weasels family affords some perception about what may happen for hog badgers, as effectively.

For the badgers, otters, weasels family, females attain sexual maturity after 2 to three months, whereas the males don’t attain sexual maturity till they’re a year old.

Also, there may be little to know of the time of independence in hog badgers. However, American badgers (an identical species) have a time of independence of 5 to six months.

Communication

There is not any information recognized in regards to the communication patterns for hog badgers. However, it’s urged that tactile communication and communication through scents could also be used as seen in different species of belonging to the badgers, otters, weasels family.

Lifespan/Longevity

There is not any information recognized for the lifespan of hog badgers within the wild. However, in captivity, the average lifespan is 14 years old.

Food Habits

Hog badgers feed on quite a lot of issues primarily based on what is out there starting from crops to worms to small mammals. It is due to this fact thought of an omnivore. It is ready to discover meals utilizing its tailored pig-like snout to sense smells.

They dig within the ground utilizing their snout, incisors, and canine teeth of their decrease jaws. They will even eat fruit, roots, and tubers. Its favorite meals seem to be terrestrial earthworms.

Predation

Hog badgers have effectively-suited predators as they possess massive claws, sturdy jaws, versatile pores and skin, and nasty tempers. Their coloration pattern is aposematic, which means it has distinct coloration or patterns to warn different organisms it’s harmful and must be left alone.

Hog badgers are great diggers and might dig out of sight if it feels threatened. Also, they’ll produce secretions from their anal glands, however, it’s unknown whether or not or not that may be a protection mechanism. Their solely recognized predators are tigers and leopards.

Ecosystem

There is little to no recognized information on the impression of hog badgers on their surrounding ecosystem. However, resulting from their foraging behaviors, they play some function in controlling the populations of invertebrates.

Also, they aerate the soil by digging. Another fascinating function they play is making a habitat for different small animals via deserted hog badger burrows.

Hog Badger – Animal | Profile | Traits | Facts | Skull | Baby | Wolverine