| Asian Badger | |
|---|---|
| File:Meles leucurus - Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology - DSC02498.JPG | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Meles |
| Species: | M. leucurus |
| Binomial name | |
| Meles leucurus Hodgson, 1847 | |
| File:Asian Badger area.png | |
| Asian Badger range | |
Other names[]
Description[]
Similar species[]
Subspecies[]
| Subspecies | Trinomial authority | Description | Range | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common sand badger Meles leucurus leucurus |
Hodgson, 1847 |
| ||
| Amur badger Meles leucurus amurensis |
Schrenck, 1859 | The darkest coloured and smallest subspecies. The facial stripes extend above the ears, and are black or blackish-brown in colour. The entire area between the stripes and cheeks are dirty-greyish brown, as opposed to white. The colour can be so dark, that the stripes are almost indistinguishable. The back is greyish-brown with silver highlights. The pelage itself is soft, but is lacking in wool. The skull is small, smooth and has weakly developed projections. It lacks first premolars. Body length is 60–70 centimetres (24–28 in)[2] | Ussuri, Priamurye, Greater Khingan and Korean Peninsula | melanogenys (J. A. Allen, 1913) schrenkii (Nehring, 1891) |
| Kazakh badger Meles leucurus arenarius |
Satunin, 1895 | A moderately sized subspecies, being intermediate in size between Meles m. meles and Meles m. canascens. Its colour is lighter and paler than its northern cousins, with less prominent facial stripes. Its pelage is coarse and bristly, and has scarce underfur. Boars grow to 70–78 centimetres (28–31 in) in body length, while sows grow to 61–70 centimetres (24–28 in). Boars weigh 7.8–8.3 kilograms (17–18 lb) in March–May, and 5.6–7 kilograms (12–15 lb) in March–June[3] | Southeastern Volga, most of Kazakhstan (excepting the northern and montane parts), the Middle Asian plains (excepting the regions occupied by Meles m. canascens and Meles m. severzovi) | |
| Siberian badger Meles leucurus sibiricus |
Kastschenko, 1900 | A moderately sized subspecies, being intermediate in size between Meles m. meles and Meles m. canascens. The general colour tone of the back is light grey, usually with yellowish or straw coloured highlights. The facial stripes are brownish-black to tawny black. The pelage is long and soft with a dense undercoat. Boars grow to 65.7–75 centimetres (25.9–29.5 in) in body length, while sows grow to 62–69.2 centimetres (24.4–27.2 in). Boars weigh 10–13.6 kilograms (22–30 lb)[4] | Siberia, including Transbaikalia and Altai, northern Kazakhstan and probably the eastern Volga |
|
| Tien Shan badger Meles leucurus tianschanensis |
Hoyningen-Huene, 1910 | A moderately sized subspecies, with a somewhat darker pelt than Meles l. arenarius and a less developed yellow sheen. The fur is longer, denser and fluffier[3] | Northern Tien Shan | talassicus (Ognev, 1931) |
Behaviour[]
Diet[]
Calls[]
Reproduction[]
Distribution/habitat[]
References[]
- ^ Abramov, A. & Wozencraft, C. (2008). Meles leucurus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 16 August 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
- ^ Heptner & Sludskii 2002, pp. 1260–1262
- ^ a b Heptner & Sludskii 2002, pp. 1257–1258
- ^ Heptner & Sludskii 2002, pp. 1256–1257
External links[]
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