Greater Hog Badger

The greater hog badger (Arctonyx collaris) is a very large terrestrial mustelid native to Southeast Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because the global population is thought to be declining due to high levels of poaching. == Taxonomy == It was formerly thought to be the only species in the genus Arctonyx, displaying heavy variation throughout its wide range, leading it to be classified as having many subspecies. However, a 2008 study found that Arctonyx should be split into three species. The following subspecies were formerly recognized, but are now thought to be conspecific with little distinction between one another: Greater hog badger A. c. collaris (Cuvier, 1825) – lives in the Eastern Himalayas; Indochinese hog badger A. c. dictator (Thomas, 1910) – lives in southern Thailand and Indochina; Burmese hog badger A. c. consul (Pocock, 1940) – occurs from Assam to Myanmar. == Description == The greater hog badger has medium-length brown hair, a stocky body, white throat, two black stripes on an elongated white snout, with a pink, pig-like nose. The snout-to-rump length is 65–104 cm (26–41 in), the tail measures 19–29 cm (7.5–11.4 in) and the body weight is…