The Sunda stink badger digs with its strong forefeet and long snout to find insects and worms. It rests underground by day and is active at night.
Its coat ranges from black to dark brown, with a white patch on the crown. A white stripe along the back may stop partway or continue toward the tail. It has short legs and a long, pointed snout.
In 2024, researchers published the first complete mitochondrial genome for Mydaus javanensis, using a specimen from Borneo. The sequence is 16,391 base pairs long. Mitochondria carry their own genetic information inside cells, and their DNA can be compared across related animals to examine evolutionary relationships.
The new sequence grouped the Sunda stink-badger within the skunk family, while distinguishing it from the sampled American genera. Before this study, no complete mitochondrial genome was available for either living Mydaus species. A Bornean specimen therefore provided a new reference for studying this island-dwelling lineage.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Researchers assembled the first complete mitochondrial genome for Mydaus javanensis from a Bornean specimen. The 16,391-base-pair sequence grouped the species within Mephitidae and distinguished it from the sampled American genera. A locality-linked genetic reference supports comparisons among islands and populations. The genome includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer-RNA genes and two ribosomal-RNA genes. The authors describe the sequence as a resource for evolutionary research and conservation genetics.