mongoose - Herpestinae, In popular culture, Classification, Gallery

A carnivorous mammal, native to S and SE Asia and Africa (introduced elsewhere); adept at killing snakes and rats, and often introduced to areas for this purpose (usually disastrously, as they also eat other mammals, birds, and birds' eggs). (Family: Viverridae, 36 species.)

iMongoose
Dwarf Mongoose
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Herpestidae Bonaparte, 1845
Subfamiles
Herpestinae

A mongoose is a family of small cat-like carnivores. edwardsii, the Indian mongoose, are popularly known for their ability to fight and kill venomous snakes such as cobra.

Some species of mongoose can be easily domesticated, are fairly intelligent, and can be taught simple tricks, so they are often kept as pets to protect the home from vermin.

In Okinawa, Japan, there is a tourist attraction where a mongoose and a type of local venomous snake, the habu (one of various Trimeresurus species) are placed in a closed perimeter and made to fight, while spectators watch.

Herpestinae

Herpestinae is a subfamily of Mongoose. The mongoose family is a close evolutionary relation of the family Viverridae and mongooses are sometimes classified as members of this family; Most are solitary like the Egyptian mongoose but a few, for example meerkats, have well-developed social systems.

Mongooses have long faces and bodies, small rounded ears, short legs and long tapering tails.

Less diverse than the viverrids, the 30 species and 11 genera of mongooses are assigned to only two subfamilies. The subfamily Herpestinae comprises 30 species of African and Asian mongooses, including the Cape gray mongoose, the Egyptian mongoose and the meerkat or suricate.

Mongooses are distributed throughout North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Asia living in a variety of habitats from forests to open woodland, savanna, semi-desert and desert.

The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is sometimes held as an example of a solitary mongoose, though they have been observed to work in groups also.

In popular culture

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the title character in Rudyard Kipling's story, is a mongoose.

Classification

FAMILY HERPESTIDAE Subfamily Herpestinae Genus Atilax Marsh Mongoose, Atilax paludinosus Genus Bdeogale Bushy-tailed Mongoose, Bdeogale crassicauda Jackson's Mongoose, Bdeogale jacksoni Black-footed Mongoose, Bdeogale nigripes Genus Crossarchus Alexander's Cusimanse, Crossarchus alexandri Ansorge's Cusimanse, Crossarchus ansorgei Long-nosed Cusimanse, Crossarchus obscurus Flat-headed Cusimanse, Crossarchus platycephalus Genus Cynictis Yellow Mongoose, Cynictis penicillata Genus Dologale Pousargues' Mongoose, Dologale dybowskii Genus Galerella Black Slender Mongoose, Galerella flavescens Cape Grey Mongoose, Galerella pulverulenta Slender Mongoose, Galerella sanguinea Namaqua Slender Mongoose, Galerella swalius Genus Helogale Desert Dwarf Mongoose, Helogale hirtula Dwarf Mongoose, Helogale parvula Genus Herpestes Short-tailed Mongoose, Herpestes brachyurus Indian Gray Mongoose, Herpestes edwardsii Indian Brown Mongoose, Herpestes fuscus Egyptian Mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon Indian Mongoose, Herpestes javanicus or Herpestes auropunctatus Long-nosed Mongoose, Herpestes naso Bengal Mongoose, Herpestes palustris Collared Mongoose, Herpestes semitorquatus Ruddy Mongoose, Herpestes smithii Crab-eating Mongoose, Herpestes urva Striped-necked Mongoose, Herpestes vitticollis Genus Ichneumia White-tailed Mongoose, Ichneumia albicauda Genus Liberiictus Liberian Mongoose, Liberiictis kuhni Genus Mungos Gambian Mongoose, Mungos gambianus Banded Mongoose, Mungos mungo Genus Mungotictis Narrow-striped Mongoose, Mungotictis decemlineata Genus Paracynictis Selous' Mongoose, Paracynictis selousi Genus Rhynchogale Meller's Mongoose, Rhynchogale melleri Genus Suricata Meerkat, Suricata suricatta

Gallery