Herpestidae Cladogram

Herpestidae Overview

• Domain: Eukaryota, Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Carnivora
• consists of 23 different species
• Herpestidae is divided into two sub-families: the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae
• includes mongoose species, meerkats, and kusimanse (dwarf mongoose)
• members generally have long bodies and faces along with short legs and tapered tails

Bdeogale

• mongoose genus consists of 4 species: Bdeogale crassicauda (bushy-tailed mongoose), Bdeogale nigripes (black-footed mongoose), Bdeogale jacksoni (Jackson's mongoose), and Bdeogale omnivora (Sokoke dog mongoose)
• genus was proposed by Wilhem Peters, a German naturalist and explorer
• they are mostly terrestrial and are omnivores
• forage in dense vegetation
• physical traits include compact paws with 4 symmetrical toes and a broud and bare rhinarium
• lives in some Central African countries and also Kenya and Tanzania

Rhynchogale melleri

• Rhynchogale consists of one species: Rhynchogale melleri (Meller's mongoose)
• medium to large sized body with a dark or light brown coat
• upper parts of body are grizzled
• can be found in Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland, and northeastern South Africa
• lives in a savanna environment, feeding mainly off of termites and other insects, but can also be found in montane bamboo forests in Tanzania and the miombo woodlands in Zambia
• are nocturnal and solitary species

Paracynictis selousi

• the genus Paracynictis has only one species: paracynictis selousi (Selou's mongoose)
• is native to Southern Africa (Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique)
• body's color can be between pale grey to a tawny gray with pale underside and black or brown legs
• has white fur at the tip of the tail
• nocturnal and can defend itself much like a skunk by expelling a strong-smelling excretion from its anal gland
• primarily eats invertebrates, but can also eat small rodents, amphibians, birds, and reptiles
• lives in open scrub and woodlands

Cynictis penicillata

• the genus Cynictis has only one species: cynictis penicillata (Yellow Mongoose), which is further divided into 12 sub-species
• nicknamed the "red meerkat"
• lives in semi-desert scrub lands and grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
• lighter underbelly, chin, bushier tail, and no sexual dimorphism
• Southern and Northern sub-species differ in color and size
• are primarily diurnal and live in colonies in burrowing complexes
• feeds off of termites, rodents, small birds, grasshoppers, and crickets

Ichenumia albicauda

• the genus Ichenumia has one species: Ichenumia albicauda (white-tailed mongoose)
• noted as one of the heaviest and longest mongoose species
• long and narrow head, yellow or tan coat with black guard hairs, and black legs
• almost half of its tail is white fur
• lives in savanna woodlands or semi-deserts of South Africa and parts of the Arabian peninsula
• also expels a noxious substance from its anal gland
• eats mainly insects but can also eat a wide variety of small animals such as shrews, lizards, small birds, and rats

Gallerella sanguinea

• Gallerella sanguinea(yellow mongoose) has fifty sub-species
• nicknamed the "black-tipped mongoose" or "black-tailed mongoose"
• most common in savannas and semi-arid plains all throughout sub-Saharan Africa
• wide range of fur color including dark-reddish brown, orange, red, gray, yellow and black or red tips on their tails
• primarily diurnal and can live in dens together
• eats mainly insects but can also eat snakes, birds, amphibians, and even fruit if available

Galerella pulverulenta

• a.k.a. Cape grey mongoose
• dark-grey with a dark tipped tail and darker legs
• lives in a wide range of habitats including macchia-type vegetation, forests in the Cape Province and some parts of southern Angola
• can also live under the floors of outbuildings
• mainly eats rodents and insects but can also eat small birds, reptiles, and even carrion and garbage
• usually diurnal and solitary species, but litters stay with family party until late adolescence

Gallerella Ochracea

• a.k.a Somlian slender mongoose
• has 4 sub-species (Galerella ochracea bocagei, Galerella ochracea fulvidior, Galerella ochracea ochracea, and Galerella ochracea perfulvidus)
• found in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Africa
• has an orange or red coat with a dark tip at its tail
• it is currently under the Least Concern conservation status according to the International Union for the Conservative Nature (IUCN)

Galerella flavescens

• a.k.a Angolan slender mongoose
• lives in rocky outcrops and areas with granite boulders and woodlands (and the surrounding areas) in southwestern Angola and northwestern Namibia
• northern mongooses have yellow or reddish-brown coats while southern mongooses are black or dark brown
• diet consists of insects, scorpions, spiders, and vertebrates like small birds and reptiles
• preyed on by larger animals like the African hawk-eagle
• diurnal and largely solitary

Galerella nigrata

• a.k.a black mongoose
• lives in areas with large boulders and rocky outcrops in northwest Namibia and southwest Angola
• has almost a completely black coat with the exception of dark-reddish hues at its flank
• mainly eat Sarchaphogid flies and other insects, but also can eat small mammals and birds
• like many mongoose species, they are usually solitary, but occasionally meet when finding an abundant food source
• known to stalk and pursue prey larger than itself like guinea fowl and drongos

Herpestes Ichneumon

• a.k.a Egyptian mongoose
• original binomial name (Viverra ichneumon) was proposed by Carl Linnaeus, but was later changed to Herpestes Ichneumon by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger
• found in the Iberian Peninsula, coastal regions near the Mediterranean Sea, and the tropical and subtropical grasslands, shrub lands, and savannas all over Africa
• has grey to reddish-brown fur with yellow and brown flecks, a long black tipped tail, and furless hind feet
• feasts on small vertebrates like birds and reptiles, but also eats fruits and eggs

Atilax paludinosus

• part of the Atilax genus, which has only one 1 species
• is also known as the March mongoose
• has reddish brown to black with white or fawn colored guard hairs and has five flexible digits with claws in each foot
• found all throughout sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia as well as much of Southern Africa in marshes, swamps, and estuaries in coastal regions
• is an excellent swimmer, using their feet to paddle
• eats rodents, snakes, insects, snails and slugs, fruits, and seeds

Herpestes naso

• also known as the Long-nosed mongoose
• native to rainforests and wetlands all over central Africa
• can have a brown coat with darker legs and a black tipped tail
• is solitary and often chooses different regions for night-time resting
• habitat is often destroyed by mining, logging, and many agricultural practices

Herpestes

• is a genus consisting of eleven living mongoose species
• members are all sexually dimorphic and solitary
• males in this genus have one less chromosome than females
• scientific name was proposed by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger
• found all throughout the world from Africa to Southeast Asia

Suricata suricatta

• also known as meerkats
• have three sub-species
• have large eyes, pointed snouts, long legs, a thin tapered tail, a brindled coat
• live in savannas, open plains, and rocky areas in South Africa
• are eusocial and can live in packs from 2-30 meerkats
• eats primarily insects, but can also eat amphibians, arthropods, and small birds and reptiles
• use a broad repertoire of vocal sounds to communicate with each other

Helogale

• is a genus consisting of two species (Ethiopian dwarf mongoose and the common dwarf mongoose) and a total of 12 sub-species
• are the smallest mongoose species in the Herpestidae family
• both species are native to eastern and southern Africa
• Helogales are diurnal and are vulnerable to predation due to their small size
• live independently of open water

Dologale dybowskii

• a.k.a Pousargues's mongoose or the African tropical savannah mongoose
• only species in the genus Dologale
• found in the tropical savannahs of central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic)
• has a brown coat with a grey belly and face, a bushy tail, and strong claws
• named after Jean Dybowskii, who collected the specimen

Crossarchus

• is a genus from the Herpestidae family that consists of 4 species
• members are known as kusimanses or "dwarf mongoose"
• found in the swamplands and forests of central and western Africa
• are small , diurnal, highly social mongooses
• feed on insects, larvae, crabs, small reptiles, and berries
• can live up to groups of 10-24
• can use whistling calls to communicate

Liberiictus kuhni

• is the only species in the genus Liberiictus
• is also known as the Liberian mongoose
• feed on earthworms and various insects
• travel in groups between 3-8 individuals
• has a dark brown body and has an elongated snout
• is listed as an endangered species and sightings are very rare

Mungos

• is a genus that has two species (Mungos gambianus and Mungos mungo)
• found in savannahs and woodlands all over central and Southern Africa
• was proposed by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and Frédéric Cuvier
• both species have grizzled grey and brown coats
• Mungos live in large groups ranging from 7-40 individuals
• primarily eat insects and small reptiles