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Mydaus javanensis
Basic stats
Diet
Invertebrates (not a specialised earthworm feeder, contrary to earlier assumptions), some plant material
Habitat
Forest floor, lowland to montane, tolerant of disturbed habitat and oil palm; also uses caves at high elevation on Borneo
Range
Borneo (mainly Sabah, north-east Sarawak, north Kalimantan), Sumatra, Java, Natuna Islands
Litter size
Estimated 2–3 based on general observation, not a dedicated study
Gestation period
Not studied — no research exists on gestation length for this species
Size
Small-medium (head-body 37–52cm)
Weight
1.3–3.6kg
A stocky, low-slung mustelid relative with coarse black fur and a variable white stripe down the back. When threatened it can eject a pungent secretion from well-developed anal glands up to about 15cm — its primary defence against predators.
Confirmed nocturnal and solitary by camera-trap study — the first published activity-pattern research on this species. Once assumed to specialise on earthworms, but the same research found no fine-scale link between its occurrence and earthworm abundance, suggesting a broader diet than previously thought. Its breeding biology remains genuinely unstudied. Least Concern (IUCN); an infrequent but unmistakable sighting on a night drive if encountered.
