Occurrence of the Malayan Badger or 
Teledu in Borneo. 
By J. C. Moulton, m.a., b.sc. (Oxon.). 
Director, Raffles Museum and Library, Singapore. 
During a recent collecting expedition into the interior of 
Northern Sarawak I heard from the natives there of the existence- 
of a cave-dwelling animal, remarkable for its powerful and disagree- 
able odour. Subsequent!}' I was fortunate enough to obtain two 
flat skins from a native chief (in exchange for a pair of trousers). 
Although the head and hind-legs have been cut off, the skins are 
in comparatively good condition and quite recognizable as those of 
the Malayan Badger. 
This Badger differs from the true Badgers of Europe and 
Asia in having a long pointed mobile muzzle and a very short tail. 
It is only found in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Great Natuna Islands 
and Palawan*. The Javanese species was described by Desmarest 
as long ago as 1820. It appears to be by no means uncommon in 
that island, where it is known as the Teledu or Sigoeng. 
In Borneo, however, it is evidently a great rarity. Only two- 
specimens appear to be known hitherto. They are in the British 
Museum and were described by Oldfield Thomas in 1902 as Mydaus 
lucifer. One is a female collected by Sir Hugh Low in 1876 “ from 
the mainland near Labuan,” and the other from Papar (North. 
Borneo), collected by A. H. Everett. 
The two skins now obtained for the Baffles Museum, Singapore, 
agree well with the description of M. lucifer, except in size. Old- 
field Thomas gives the dimensions of the type (in skin) as 
follows : — 
Head and body 340 mm. ; tail 35 mm. ; with hairs 90 mm.. 
The Baffles Museum skins are much bigger : 
Neck and body 540 mm.; tail 40-45 mm.; with hairs 80- 
85 mm. 
The light marking is very broad and conspicuous on the nape,. 
95 mm. across widest part narrowing on the middle of the back 
down to 20 mm. in one skin and to 10 mm., followed by a very 
short break altogether, in the other. This marking becomes slightly 
* Dr. Hanitseh records one captured in the Botanic Gardens, Singapore 
in 1909. He suggests that it was probably a specimen escaped from cap- 
tivity. It is the Java form; its natural occurrence in Singapore would 
certainly be curious. On the other hand it is difficult to imagine anyone 
attempting to keep such an odoriferous animal as a pet or indeed for any 
purpose ! 
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 83, 1921.. 
