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Image: Burmese ferret badger (Melogale personata).
Home » Ferret badgers ( Melogale species) » Articles :
This page give details of the scientific classification of the ferret badgers, and lists some of the subspecies that have been described.
On this page: Classification | Subspecies | Related Badger Pages
Currently, the following classification of the ferret badgers is generally accepted:
Class : Mammalia (Mammals)
Family : Mustelidae (Weasels etc.)
Sub-family : Melinae (True badgers)
Genus & species : Melogale moschata (Chinese ferret badger)
Genus & species : Melogale personata (Burmese ferret badger)
Genus & species : Melogale orientalis (Javan ferret badger)
Genus & species : Melogale everetti (Everett's ferret badger)
However, the ferret badgers have not been studied in depth, and as I will show below, there are some different thoughts on how they should be classified.
This species was first described (as Helictis moschata ) by Gray in 1831 [ w005-06 ].
The Burmese ferret badger was described by Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1831 [ w005-07 ].
The Javan ferret badger was first described by Horsfield in 1821 [reference to follow].
Some taxonomists have classed this species as a subspecies of the Burmese ferret badger: Melogale personata orientalis .
This species was first described (as Helictis everetii ) by Thomas in 1895 [ w005-08 ].
Some taxonomists have classified this ferret badger as a subspecies of the Burmese ferret badger: Melogale personata everetti [ b016 ]. Others have treated it as belonging to the same species as the ferret badgers of Java, Melogale orientalis [ b004 , w005-08 , b016 ].
The following subspecies have been described:
The following subspecies have been described:
The subspecies Melogale personata orientalis has also been described, but this is now generally regarded as a species in its own right, the Javan ferret badger Melogale orientalis .
The following subspecies have been described:
No subspecies have been described.
Find out about the classification and subspecies of:
The Burmese ferret badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Mr Sawai Wanghongsa, and used with the kind permission of the (External) Royal Forest Department of Thailand . 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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