| Northern hog badger | |
|---|---|
_(7093196697).jpg) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Arctonyx |
| Species: | A. albogularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Arctonyx albogularis (Blyth, 1853) | |
Thenorthern hog badger (Arctonyx albogularis) is a species ofmustelid native toSouth andEast Asia.[2]
It was formerly considered a subspecies of thegreater hog badger (A. collaris) whenA. collaris was considered the only species inArctonyx, but a 2008 study split the genus into three species, includingA. albogularis andA. hoevenii (Sumatran hog badger).[3]
The species is much smaller than thegreater hog badger and has a moregracile skull. Elderly animals only have a moderately developedsagittal crest, in contrast to the two other species in the genus. It has a softer pelage with longer hairs than the otherArctonyx, with thickunderfur during the winter months. It has blackish forequarters, with the mid-back, tail, and hindquarters either being white or mixed with white. It is darker than the greater hog badger but lighter than theSumatran hog badger. The species displays significant geographical variation, and some forms may represent distinctsubspecies.[3]
The species is ranges fromnortheast India andBangladesh northeast to most of easternChina. An isolated record is known from easternMongolia. The species may potentially exist inNepal andBhutan, but this remains unconfirmed.[1]
