This animal, which belongs to the class of mammals, is a member of the badger subfamily. The scientific name for this species was given by Georges-Frédéric Cuvier, a French naturalist. This happened in 1825.
Appearance
Teledu is a pork badger with a rather stocky body. The fur of the animal can be gray and brown. The tail of a badger is whitish or yellowish. Its length varies from 12 to 17 cm. There are several dark stripes on the Teledu’s muzzle. The head of a mammal has an oblong shape, with small eyes set quite wide apart. A distinctive feature of the animal is a pinkish muzzle and teeth, which are designed to dig into the ground. The length of the Teledu’s body ranges from 55 to 70 cm, and the mass varies from 7 to 14 kg. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in size: males are much larger than females.
Teledu is one of the largest badgers. This animal bears a resemblance to the European badger, but the latter is slightly larger and does not have such sharp claws on its forelimbs. Another distinguishing feature is the color of the claws. The Teledu has them light, while the European badger’s claws are much darker.
Where dwells
This representative of the badger subfamily lives in southeast Asia: in China, Thailand and Sikkim. Teledu is quite common in the east of Bangladesh. It can also be found in Myanmar and Mongolia. Teledu has recently been found in India and Sumatra. This species does not like migration, and basically does not change its habitat.
There are several subspecies of Teledu. So, the Big Teledu inhabits the Himalayas, the northern subspecies lives in the south of China. The Chinese teledu can be found in northern China, and the Sumatran subspecies in Sumatra. The Indo-Chinese pork badger lives in Thailand and Indochina, while the Burmese subspecies is found in Assam and Myanmar.
This species prefers both dense deciduous forests and steppes. The habitat includes floodplains, grazing lands prevail. In Bangladesh, animals can be found in gardens.
What eats
Teledu is an omnivorous animal. It can feed on both small crustaceans and mammals. Sharp claws and teeth help him in finding food. The animal’s sense of smell also plays an important role in finding food: with its help, Teledu finds worms underground. Animals dig out earthworms with molars and incisors. These badgers also eat fruits, plant roots. They love to eat mushrooms and larvae, insects. Teledu go hunting in the pitch darkness, it takes them the night.
Due to an addiction to earthworms, the Teledu are well controlled by the population of these invertebrates. When searching for their favorite food, they water the soil, having a beneficial effect on the ecosystem.
Lifestyle
These mammals have an unpleasant disposition. Closer to the beginning of the mating season, animals become quite aggressive, there are clashes with relatives. During the skirmish, the males show each other their teeth, their anal glands secrete foul-smelling substances. This behavior is often due to the defense of the borders of their territory, which Teledu is marked with urine.
Reproduction
Presumably Teledu lead a solitary lifestyle, because they usually move around the range one by one. However, mothers always keep close to their offspring.
Females become sexually mature at about 8 months, and males only at a year. The breeding season starts in April and ends in September. Pregnancy lasts approximately 10 months. Scientists believe that Teledu embryos have a slight delay in development, because the fertilized egg is in the uterus for a long time, waiting for the onset of favorable conditions for development. Around March, the female gives birth to 2-4 badgers. At birth, babies weigh 60 grams. Teledu feeds her offspring with milk for about 4 months. At the age of six months, the cubs already become more independent. Young growth grows rapidly and already at 7 months reaches the size of an adult animal. Teledu can live in captivity for 14 years.
Natural enemies
The natural enemies of Teledu are tigers with leopards. Animals can be attacked by red wolves. This species rarely becomes a prey for predators, because individuals have rather strong jaws and a flexible body. The Teledu color also helps them avoid conflict. These animals are quite agile, they can easily dig up passages and quickly disappear when danger approaches.
Species status and population
Teledu has long been listed in the Red Book, but now the status of the species raises concerns, because at the moment the population is declining. The most stable populations are found in Laos. There Teledu are often found in the mountains, but they are practically absent on the plains. In Thailand, the species inhabits low altitudes, mainly plains. The local populations are not a cause for concern, unlike the number of individuals in China.
In India and Vietnam, these animals are under the protection of the authorities, because the populations in these countries are declining most rapidly. This is due to the hunting of Teleda, the meat of the animal is highly prized among the population. Another reason for the extinction is the destruction of the habitat of these mammals due to the creation of agro-industrial complexes.
