Greater hog badgers
The Hog badger is a carnivorous mammal native to Asia. It is one of the world's largest terrestrial extant mustelids going on average body mass, perhaps behind only the wolverine and rivaling the European badger. The appearance of the Hog badger generally resembles the European badger, but it is generally smaller, with larger claws on the front feet. Its tail has long white hairs, and its front feet have white claws.
Hog badgers are found in South and Southeast Asia. They live in tropical evergreen forests, savanna, grasslands and shrubland, hills, and mountains.
Hog badgers are ground-dwelling animals. They are very shy and lead a secretive solitary life. These are territorial creatures that mark their territories with their scents on the grass, rocks, and tree trunks. Hog badgers are active both during the day and night spending most of their time foraging. They are excellent burrowers and dig into the ground to create burrows for shelter and to find their food. During feeding, the badger digs not only with its claws, but also uses its long movable muzzle, just like a pig, which actually has led to its common name.
Hog badgers are omnivores. Their diet includes worms, insects, small mammals but also fruits, tubers, and roots.
The breeding season of Hog badgers takes place around May. The female gives birth to 2-4 cubs which are usually weaned at the age of 4 months.
The population of Hog badgers is thought to be declining due to high levels of poaching. In some areas of their native range, these animals also suffer from increasing fragmentation of natural habitat.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Hog badger total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
