It lies up in burrows which it digs for itself; these are simple, single tunnels ending in a chamber, into which bedding is taken. The tunnels are apparently no more than 60cm / 2 feet in depth. It will also occupy porcupine burrows, sometimes sharing the burrows with the prickly owners. The stink badger's den is said to be characterized by an unpleasant smell, much like that of a skunk. The stink badgers are thought to feed mainly on invertebrates, especially earthworms and insects, and also plant material.

Fortunately, the stink badgers do not have to rely on speed if they are threatened. The secretion of M. marchei would appear to be less damaging, being described as pungent but not offensive. Ian Grimwood has described how, when photographing one of these stink badgers, the animal squirted the yellowish, oily fluid at him - it scored a direct hit on the lens of his camera from a distance of 1 metre! This animal had first played dead, and even allowed itself to be carried; the switch to chemical warfare was presumably a second line of defence.

Threats:
Interesting Information:The stink badgers are not fast movers; M. marchei has been described as moving with a "rather ponderous, fussy walk; if alarmed it runs at a steady trot for up to 100 metres, but only at the speed of a man walking.

Conservation Efforts/Measures:

Photograph Information: Sketch by Pia Belardo, (as I was wastching "The Explorer" last April 04, 2001 - They featured the Bantot on their show), Courtesy of Times Editions, taken from "A Guide to the Ecosystems of Palawan, Philippines" compiled by Peter Widmann.