Sumatran hog badger

It was formerly considered a subspecies of the greater hog badger (A. collaris), when it was considered the only species in the genus Arctonyx. However, in 2008, a study proposed splitting A. collaris into 3 species, with one of these being A. hoevenii. This finding was later followed by the American Society of Mammalogists.[2][3]

It is the smallest species of Arctonyx, being about the size of a large housecat. It also has sparser fur and a much darker pelage than the other two species in the genus.[2]

The species is endemic to the high-altitude regions of Sumatra, namely the Barisan Range, which extends along the length of the island. Its range extends to the foothills, as low as 700 meters above sea level, up to the very highest point on the island; in 1918, the skull of a Sumatran hog badger was discovered in the alpine zone of Gunung Kerinci. Its core habitat is likely the montane and mossy forests and subalpine meadows between 200 and 2600 meters above sea level. Despite being limited to a limited habitat type on an island, it is thought to be common throughout its range.[2]