Herpestidae Cladogram
by: Jacob Kwon
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