Blaireau-furet du Cuc Phuong

Melogale cucphuongensis is known from two individuals from one site (Nadler et al. 2011). It is a member of a polyspecific genus which holds two species living in the same region, northern South-east Asia; here, the genus is in general widespread, common, and ecologically tolerant. These two species cannot readily be distinguished externally; while individuals vary significantly in facial and dorsal patterns, and in overall body colour, intraspecific variation in these characters seems to exceed interspecific variation. Thus, the many camera-trap records of ferret badger generated in the last 20 years in northern Viet Nam and adjacent areas cannot be identified to species; nor can the representation, if any, of M. cucphuongensis in them be determined. The original description evaluated the holotype directly against only three specimens each of M. personata and of M. moschata. The representation, if any, of M. cucphuongensis in the many ferret badger specimens held elsewhere has not been determined. Thus, it would be premature to assume that the species is rare, although on the available published information, this is certainly possible. It is unclear whether comparisons within Viet Nam were restricted to these six specimens; many more ferret badger specimens exist in the country, and if these were all checked and none of the distinctive skull morphology was found, that would suggest that M. cucphuongensis might be highly localized and/or rare.