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Predators

The Indonesian stink badger

Little information is available regarding animals which prey on this badger. Suggested predators include civets (Viverra tangalunga and Viverricula indica) and feral cats (Felis silvestris) [p36]. Another possibility is the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) as the ranges of both tiger and stink badger on that island are known to overlap in places [p1588]. The stink badger may also have formed part of the diet of the Javan tiger (P. t. sondaica), however that tiger subspecies was driven to extinction by hunting and habitat loss, disappearing forever in the 1980s. One known predator of the Indonesian stink badger is the Javan hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi); this species is confined to the island of Java, where it occupies the rainforests, and hunts mainly from perches on trees in the forest [p910, w35].

The Palawan stink badger

It would appear that there are no native predators on Palawan or the Calamian islands which might prey on this species. Introduced dogs and cats are reported to pose little threat, due to the stink badger's defences (see below) [w1524-1].

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Defences

Both of the stink badgers are well known for the potency of their anal gland secretions, and their willingness to use these secretions in defence, hence the common names given to these species. The secretions are squirted from the glands with some accuracy, and with devasting effects in the case of Mydaus javanensis.

The Indonesian stink badger

The secretion of Mydaus javanensis is pale green in colour and described as nauseating and damaging. It is said that dogs have been asphyxiated by the fluid, and that they have even been blinded when struck in the eye! [p1]

Horsfield, writing in 1820 [p1174], described the anal scent glands of this species, and the fluid produced by them:

"In place of the pouches and and reservoirs of fetid fluids with which several genera of this family are provided, the Mydaus has two glands of an oblong for, about one inch long and half an inch wide, near the extremity of the rectum : they are placed opposite to each other, and are individually furnished with an excretory duct nearly half an inch long, which communicates with this intestine. In the middle of each duct is a very minute aperture, surrounded by a muscular ring, somewhat swelled, which enables the animal at pleasure to discharge or to retain the fetid fluid secreted by the glands. The ducts enter the rectum about half an inch within the external aperture. The internal surface of these glands is covered with numerous wrinkles disposed transversely. The fluid secreted by them is perfectly analogous, in its odour, to that secreted by several species of Mephitis in America, particularly to that of the Mephitis striata of Fischer. Having experienced that of the latter, which is known in most parts of North America by the name of Skunk, I readily recognised it in Java."

One of the constituents of the anal gland secretion of both stink badgers and skunks is n-butyl mercaptan [p1091]. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration of the US Department of Labor lists the potential sympton of exposure to this substance as follows: "Irritation of eyes, skin; cough, shortness of breath; dizziness, drowsiness; muscle weakness, malaise, sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion; skin rash; in animals: narcosis, incoordination, weakness, cyanosis; pulmonary irritation; liver, kidney damage " [w1525]. However the Administration notes that at very small concentrations (one part per million) n-butyl mercaptan can be used as a flavouring agent in food; the taste is described as "sulfureous, vegetative, savory meaty, garlic and onion."

The Palawan stink badger

Much of our knowledge of this species' defensive behaviour comes from Ian Grimwood, who published details of his encounter with a Palawan stink badger in 1976 [p1, p3, p111-5]. When first approached, the stink badger stomped its forefeet on the ground, a threat behaviour commonly displayed by skunks [p259]. A closer approach elicited a snarl in which the animal's lips were drawn back and its teeth exposed; however it appeared reluctant to bite. On being touched, the stink badger "played possum" and even allowed itself to be carried. Finally, as Ian was photographing the stink badger, it squirted a yellowish, oily fluid at him and scored a direct hit on the lens of his camera from a distance of 1 metre. Ian described the smell as "pungent, but not offensive, smelling faintly of almonds and stink ants". Hans Kruuk has also described his encounters with stink badgers on Palawan, and confirmed that they were not particularly aggresive [p111-5]. He noted that this species sometimes reacted to his presence by freezing, then walking away to continue looking for food.

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Picture credits

The Palawan stink badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Peter Widmann, and used with his permission. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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