| Formosan ferret-badger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Illustration byJoseph Wolf | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Melogale |
| Species: | M. subaurantiaca |
| Binomial name | |
| Melogale subaurantiaca | |
TheFormosan ferret-badger (Melogale subaurantiaca) is amustelid speciesendemic toTaiwan.
It was formerly thought to be conspecific with theChinese ferret-badger (M. moschata), but a 2019 genetic study found it to represent a distinct species, and theAmerican Society of Mammalogists later reclassified it as a distinct species.[2] However, many authorities like theIUCN Red List still consider it conspecific withM. moschata.[3]
The species is endemic to the mainland island ofTaiwan.[4]
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]
A 2015 study analyzing specimens ofM. subaurantiaca collected between 2010 and 2013 found evidence ofrabies 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 areservoir species for the rabies virus on Taiwan, and as of 2019, it has become anepidemic ineastern Taiwan; however, epidemics in western and southern Taiwan had subsided by then. Aside from the threats posed to the species, there have been reports ofspillover 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]