Mountain goat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Mountain goat (disambiguation).

Mountain goat
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Caprinae
Genus:	Oreamnos Rafinesque, 1817
Species:	O. americanus
Binomial name
Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)

The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs and ice.
Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus that includes all other goats, such as the wild goat, Capra aegagrus, from which the domestic goat is derived.

Contents

• 1 Classification
• 2 General appearance and characteristics
• 3 Range and habitat
• 4 Movement patterns
• 5 Diet
• 6 Life cycle and mating
• 7 Aggressive behavior
• 8 Wool
• 9 References
• 10 Further reading
• 11 External links

Classification

The mountain goat is an even-toed ungulate of the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae that includes antelopes, gazelles, and cattle. It belongs to the subfamily Caprinae (goat-antelopes), along with 32 other species including true goats, sheep, the chamois, and the muskox. The mountain goat is the only species in the genus Oreamnos. The name Oreamnos is derived from the Greek term oros (stem ore-) "mountain" (or, alternatively, oreas "mountain nymph") and the word amnos "lamb".

General appearance and characteristics

Both male and female mountain goats have beards, short tails, and long black horns, 15–28 cm (5.9–11.0 in) in length, which contain yearly growth rings. They are protected from the elements by their woolly white double coats. The fine, dense wool of their undercoats is covered by an outer layer of longer, hollow hairs. Mountain goats molt in spring by rubbing against rocks and trees, with the adult billies (males) shedding their extra wool first and the pregnant nannies (females) shedding last. Their coats help them to withstand winter temperatures as low as −50 °F (−46 °C) and winds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h).
A male (billy) stands about 1 m (3.3 ft) at the shoulder to the waist and can weigh considerably more than the female (nanny) (around 30% more in some cases). Male goats also have longer horns and longer beards than females. Mountain goats can weigh between 45 and 140 kg (99 and 309 lb), though even males will often weigh less than 82 kg (181 lb). The head-and-body length can range from 120–179 cm (47–70 in), with a small tail adding 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in).^[2][3][4]
The mountain goat's feet are well-suited for climbing steep, rocky slopes with pitches exceeding 60°, with inner pads that provide traction and cloven hooves that can spread apart. The tips of their feet have sharp dewclaws that keep them from slipping.

Range and habitat

Mountain goat on Mount Massive, Colorado, USA

The mountain goat inhabits the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Range and other mountain regions of the Western Cordillera of North America, from Washington, Idaho and Montana through British Columbia and Alberta, into the southern Yukon and southeastern Alaska. Its northernmost range is said to be along the northern fringe of the Chugach Mountains in southcentral Alaska. Introduced populations can also be found in such areas as Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, South Dakota, and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington.
Mountain goats are the largest mammals found in their high-altitude habitats, which can exceed elevations of 13,000 feet (4,000 m). They sometimes descend to sea level in coastal areas although they are primarily an alpine and subalpine species. The animals usually stay above the tree line throughout the year but they will migrate seasonally to higher or lower elevations within that range. Winter migrations to low-elevation mineral licks often take them several kilometers through forested areas.^[5]

Movement patterns

In the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier National Park is near the southern limit of their distribution.

Daily movements by individual mountain goats are primarily confined to areas on the same mountain face, drainage basin, or alpine opening. Daily movements reflect an individual’s needs for foraging, resting, thermoregulation and security from predators or disturbance. Seasonal movements primarily reflect nutritional needs (e.g., movements to and from mineral licks/salt lick), reproductive needs (i.e., movement of pre-parturient females to “kidding” areas; movement to rutting areas), and climatic influences (i.e., movement to areas in response to foraging conditions). In general, seasonal movements are likely to exhibit a strong elevational component, whereby lower, forested elevations are used during the spring-summer (security cover effects) to access lower elevation mineral licks, and during winter (thermal cover effects) to access forage. The farthest movements are expected to be by dispersing mountain goats. Such movements are likely to involve mountain goats crossing forested valleys as they move between mountain blocks.

Diet

Young mountain goat licking handrail for salt

Mountain goats are herbivores and spend most of their time grazing. Their diets include grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, mosses, lichens, and twigs and leaves from the low-growing shrubs and conifers of their high-altitude habitat.
In captivity, the mountain goat's diet can also include grain, alfalfa, fruits, and vegetables, and grass.

Life cycle and mating

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In the wild, mountain goats usually live 12 to 15 years, with their lifespans limited by the wearing down of their teeth. In zoos, however, they can live for 16 to 20 years.
Mountain goats reach sexual maturity at about 30 months. Nannies in a herd undergo synchronized estrus in late October through early December, at which time males and females participate in a mating ritual. Mature billies will stare at nannies for long periods, dig rutting pits, and fight each other in showy (though occasionally dangerous) scuffles. Young billies sometimes try to participate, but they are ignored by nannies; nannies will also sometimes pursue inattentive billies. Both males and females usually mate with multiple individuals during breeding season, although some billies try to keep other males away from certain nannies. After the breeding season is over, males and females move away from each other, with the adult billies breaking up into small bands of two or three individuals. Nannies form loose-knit nursery groups of up to 50 animals.

Mountain goat with kid

Kids are born in the spring (late May or early June) after a six-month gestation period. Nannies give birth, usually to a single offspring, after moving to an isolated ledge; post partum, they lick the kid dry and ingest the placenta. Kids weigh a little over 3 kg (7 lb) at birth and begin to run and climb (or attempt to do so) within hours. Although they are mostly weaned within one month, kids follow their mothers closely for the first year of life (or until the nanny gives birth again, if this does not occur the next breeding season); nannies protect their young by leading them out of danger, standing over them when faced by predators, and positioning themselves below their kids on steep slopes to stop freefalls.

Aggressive behavior

Nannies can be very competitive and protective of their space and food sources. They will fight with one another for dominance in conflicts that can ultimately include all the nannies in the herd. In these battles, nannies will circle each other with their heads lowered, displaying their horns. As with fights between billies during breeding season, these conflicts can occasionally lead to injury or death, but are usually harmless. To avoid fighting, an animal may show a posture of nonaggression by stretching low to the ground.
In regions below the tree line, nannies use their fighting abilities to protect themselves and their offspring from predators. Predators, including wolves, wolverines, lynx and bears, will attack goats of most ages given the opportunity. The cougar is perhaps the primary predator, being powerful enough to overwhelm the largest adults and uniquely nimble enough to navigate the rocky ecosystem of the goats. Though their size protects them from most potential predators in higher altitudes, nannies must defend their young from golden eagles, which can be a major predatory threat to kids.^[3] Nannies have even been observed trying to dominate the more passive but often heavier bighorn sheep that share some of their territory.

A mountain goat in a frolicking pose

The attack of a mountain goat is known as a "frolick". Differing from a prance, a frolick uses the left hoof as a way of diverting attention from the impending attack. The mountain goat will often attack from a well protected area, using the flowers and ferns for camouflage.
Mountain goats can occasionally be aggressive towards humans, with at least one reported fatality resulting from an attack by a mountain goat.^[6]

Wool

Although the mountain goat has never been domesticated and commercialized for their wool, pre-Columbian indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast did incorporate its wool into their weaving by collecting spring moulted wool left by wild goats.^[7]

Firefly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the science fiction television series, see Firefly (TV series). For other uses, see Firefly (disambiguation).

Firefly
Photuris lucicrescens[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Elateriformia
Superfamily:	Elateroidea
Family:	Lampyridae Latreille, 1817
Subfamilies
Cyphonocerinae Lampyrinae Luciolinae Ototretinae (disputed) Photurinae and see below Genera incertae sedis: Oculogryphus Pterotus LeConte, 1859

The Lampyridae are a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous use of bioluminescence during twilight to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. This chemically produced light from the lower abdomen may be yellow, green, or pale red, with wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanometers.^[2]
About 2,000 species of fireflies are found in temperate and tropical environments. Many are in marshes or in wet, wooded areas where their larvae have abundant sources of food. Their larvae emit light and often are called "glowworms", in particular, in Eurasia. In the Americas, "glow worm" also refers to the related Phengodidae. In many species, both male and female fireflies have the ability to fly, but in some species, the females are flightless.^[3]

Contents

• 1 Biology
  • 1.1 Light and chemical production
  • 1.2 Systematics
• 2 References
• 3 Further reading
• 4 External links

Biology

A larviform female showing light-emitting organs on abdomen

Fireflies tend to be brown and soft-bodied, often with the elytra, or front wings, more leathery than those of other beetles. Although the females of some species are similar in appearance to males, larviform females are found in many other firefly species. These females can often be distinguished from the larvae only because they have compound eyes. The most commonly known fireflies are nocturnal,^[4] although there are numerous species that are diurnal. Most diurnal species are not luminescent; however, some species that remain in shadowy areas may produce light.
A few days after mating, a female lays her fertilized eggs on or just below the surface of the ground. The eggs hatch three to four weeks later, and the larvae feed until the end of the summer. The larvae are commonly called glowworms (not to be confused with the distinct beetle family Phengodidae or the fly genus Arachnocampa.) Lampyrid larvae have simple eyes. The term glowworm is also used for both adults and larvae of species such as Lampyris noctiluca, the common European glowworm, in which only the nonflying adult females glow brightly and the flying males glow only weakly and intermittently.

Play media

A video of fireflies.

Fireflies hibernate over winter during the larval stage, some species for several years. Some do this by burrowing underground, while others find places on or under the bark of trees. They emerge in the spring. After several weeks of feeding, they pupate for 1.0 to 2.5 weeks and emerge as adults. The larvae of most species are specialized predators and feed on other larvae, terrestrial snails, and slugs. Some are so specialized that they have grooved mandibles that deliver digestive fluids directly to their prey. Adult diet varies: some are predatory, while others feed on plant pollen or nectar. Some, like the European Glow-worm beetle, Lampyris noctiluca, have no mouth.
Most fireflies are quite distasteful to eat and sometimes poisonous to vertebrate predators. This is due at least in part to a group of steroid pyrones known as lucibufagins, which are similar to cardiotonic bufadienolides found in some poisonous toads.^[5]

Light and chemical production

Firefly (species unknown) captured in eastern Canada – the top picture is taken with a flash, the bottom only with the self-emitted light

Fireflies in the woods near Nuremberg, Germany, exposure time 30 seconds

Light production in fireflies is due to a type of chemical reaction called bioluminescence. This process occurs in specialized light-emitting organs, usually on a firefly's lower abdomen. The enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light. Gene coding for these substances have been inserted into many different organisms (see Luciferase – Applications). Firefly luciferase is used in forensics, and the enzyme has medical uses — in particular, for detecting the presence of ATP or magnesium. It has been speculated that Baroque painter Caravaggio may have prepared his canvases with a powder of dried fireflies to create a photosensitive surface on which he projected the image to be painted.^[6]
All fireflies glow as larvae. Bioluminescence serves a different function in lampyrid larvae than it does in adults. It appears to be a warning signal to predators, since many fireflies larvae contain chemicals that are distasteful or toxic.
Light in adult beetles was originally thought to be used for similar warning purposes, but now its primary purpose is thought to be used in mate selection. Fireflies are a classic example of an organism that uses bioluminescence for sexual selection. They have a variety of ways to communicate with mates in courtships: steady glows, flashing, and the use of chemical signals unrelated to photic systems.^[7]
Some species, especially lightning bugs of the genera Photinus, Photuris, and Pyractomena, are distinguished by the unique courtship flash patterns emitted by flying males in search of females. In general, females of the Photinus genus do not fly, but do give a flash response to males of their own species.

Firefly larva

Tropical fireflies, in particular, in Southeast Asia, routinely synchronise their flashes among large groups. This phenomenon is explained as phase synchronization^[8] and spontaneous order. At night along river banks in the Malaysian jungles (the most notable ones found near Kuala Selangor), fireflies (kelip-kelip in the Malay language) synchronize their light emissions precisely. Current hypotheses about the causes of this behavior involve diet, social interaction, and altitude. In the Philippines, thousands of fireflies can be seen all year-round in the town of Donsol (called aninipot or totonbalagon in Bicol). In the United States, one of the most famous sightings of fireflies blinking in unison occurs annually near Elkmont, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains during the first weeks of June.^[9] Congaree National Park in South Carolina is another host to this phenomenon.^[10]
Female Photuris fireflies are known for mimicking the mating flashes of other "lightning bugs" for the sole purpose of predation. Target males are attracted to what appears to be a suitable mate, and are then eaten. For this reason, sometimes, Photuris species are referred to as "femme fatale fireflies."
Many fireflies do not produce light. Usually these species are diurnal, or day-flying, such as those in the genus Ellychnia. A few diurnal fireflies that inhabit primarily shadowy places, such as beneath tall plants or trees, are luminescent. One such genus is Lucidota. These fireflies use pheromones to signal mates. This is supported by the fact that some basal groups do not show bioluminescence and, rather, use chemical signaling. Phosphaenus hemipterus has photic organs, yet is a diurnal firefly and displays large antennae and small eyes. These traits strongly suggest pheromones are used for sexual selection, while photic organs are used for warning signals. In controlled experiments, males coming from downwind arrived at females first, thus male arrival was correlated with wind direction, indicating males' chemotaxis into a pheromone plume. Males were also found to be able to find females without the use of visual cues, when the sides of test Petri dishes were covered with black tape. This and the facts that females do not light up at night and males are diurnal point to the conclusion that sexual communication in P. hemipterus is entirely based on pheromones.^[11]

Systematics

Cyphonocerus ruficollis, a weakly glowing member of the Cyphonocerinae

Firefly systematics, as with many insects, are in a constant state of flux, as new species continue to be discovered. The five subfamilies listed above are the most commonly accepted ones, though others, such as the Amydetinae and Psilocladinae, have been proposed. This was mainly done in an attempt to revise the Lampyrinae, which bit by bit had become something of a "wastebin taxon" to hold incertae sedis species and genera of fireflies. Other changes have been proposed, such as merging the Ototretinae into the Luciolinae, but the arrangement used here appears to be the most frequently seen and stable layout for the time being. Though most groups appear to be monophyletic, some (e.g., the tribe Photinini) are perhaps better divided.
Two groups of subfamilies seem to exist: one containing many American and some Eurasian species in the Lampyrinae and Photurinae, and one, predominantly Asian, made up from the other subfamilies. While the subfamilies as understood here are, in general, monophyletic, a few genera still need to be moved for the subfamilies to accurately represent the evolutionary relationships among the fireflies.
The Rhagophthalmidae are a glow worm-like lineage of Elateroidea. They have in the recent past usually been considered a distinct family, but whether this is correct is still disputed. Indeed, they might be the only close relative of the puzzling firefly genus Pterotus, which sometimes is placed in a monotypic subfamily.
The genus Phausis, usually placed in the tribe Photinini of the Lampyrinae, might represent another rather distinct lineage instead

Mongoose

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the mongoose family Herpestidae. For Malagasy mongooses, see Galidiinae. For other uses, see Mongoose (disambiguation).

Mongoose[1] Temporal range: Oligocene to present
Common dwarf mongoose Helogale parvula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Herpestidae Bonaparte, 1845
Type genus
Herpestes Illiger, 1811
Genera
Atilax Bdeogale Crossarchus Cynictis Dologale Galerella Helogale Herpestes Ichneumia Liberiictus Mungos Paracynictis Rhynchogale Suricata
Synonyms
Cynictidae Cope, 1882 Herpestoidei Winge, 1895 Mongotidae Pocock, 1920 Rhinogalidae Gray, 1869 Suricatidae Cope, 1882 Suricatinae Thomas, 1882

Mongoose is the popular English name for 29 of 34^[2] species in the 14 genera of the family Herpestidae, which are small carnivorans that are native to southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. The other five species in the family are the four kusimanses in the genus Crossarchus, and the only species in the genus Suricata: Suricata suricatta, commonly called meerkat in English.
Six species in family Eupleridae, endemic to the island of Madagascar, are also called "mongoose" and were originally classified as a genus within the Herpestidae family, but genetic evidence has since shown that they are more closely related to other Madagascar carnivorans in the family Eupleridae; they have, since 2006, been classified in the subfamily Galidiinae within Eupleridae.
Herpestidae belong to the suborder Feliformia, together with the cat, hyena and civet families.

Contents

• 1 Name
• 2 Description
• 3 Anatomy
• 4 Life history
  • 4.1 Diet
  • 4.2 Reproduction
• 5 Relationship with humans
  • 5.1 In popular culture
• 6 Taxonomy
  • 6.1 Classification
• 7 Gallery
• 8 References
• 9 Further reading
• 10 External links

Name

Yellow mongoose, Cynictis penicillata

The word "mongoose" is derived from the Marathi name mungūs (मुंगूस) (pronounced as [muŋɡuːs]), perhaps ultimately from Dravidian (cf. Telugu mungisa (ముంగిస), Kannada mungusi (ಮುಂಗುಸಿ)). The form of the English name (since 1698) was altered to its "-goose" ending by folk-etymology.^[3] It has no etymological connection with the word goose. Historically, it has also been spelled "mungoose".^[4] The plural form is mongooses,^[5] or, rarely, mongeese.^[6]

Description

Yellow mongoose

Mongooses live in southern Asia, Africa, and southern Europe, as well in Fiji, Puerto Rico and some Caribbean and Hawaiian islands, where they are an introduced species.
There are 33 species, ranging from 24 to 58 cm (9.4 to 22.8 in) in length, excluding the tail.^[7] Mongooses range in weight from the common dwarf mongoose, at 320 g (11 oz), to the cat-sized white-tailed mongoose, at 5 kg (11 lb).^[7]
Some species lead predominantly solitary lives, seeking out food only for themselves, while others travel in groups, sharing food among group members and offspring.

Anatomy

Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)

Mongooses bear a striking resemblance to mustelids, having long faces and bodies, small, rounded ears, short legs, and long, tapering tails. Most are brindled or grizzly; few have strongly marked coats. Their nonretractile claws are used primarily for digging. Mongooses, much like goats, have narrow, ovular pupils. Most species have a large anal scent gland, used for territorial marking and signaling reproductive status. The dental formula of mongooses is similar to that of viverrids: 3.1.3-4.1-23.1.3-4.1-2.
Mongooses also have receptors for acetylcholine that, like the receptors in snakes, are shaped so it is impossible for snake neurotoxin venom to attach to them. Mongooses are one of four known mammalian species which possess mutations in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor that protect against snake venom.^[8] Pigs, honey badgers, hedgehogs, and mongooses all have modifications to the receptor pocket which prevents the snake venom α-neurotoxin from binding. These represent four separate, independent mutations. In the mongoose this change is effected uniquely, by glycosylation.^[9] Researchers are investigating whether similar mechanisms protect the mongoose from hemotoxic snake venoms.^[8]

Herpestes lemanensis skull from the Oligocene, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris

Life history

In contrast to the arboreal, nocturnal viverrids, mongooses are more commonly terrestrial and many are active during the day.
The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is sometimes held as an example of a solitary mongoose, though it has been observed to work in groups.^[10]

Diet

Mongooses mostly feed on insects, crabs, earthworms, lizards, birds, and rodents. However, they also eat eggs and carrion.

Indian gray mongoose, Herpestes edwardsii

The Indian gray mongoose and others are well known for their ability to fight and kill venomous snakes, particularly cobras. They are adept at such tasks due to their agility, thick coats, and specialized acetylcholine receptors that render them resistant or immune to snake venom.^[11] However, they typically avoid the cobra and have no particular affinity for consuming its meat.^[12] Although mongooses readily attack snakes, they have extreme difficulty in combatting vipers and constrictors, as cobras and other elapids lose fighting energy through their intense bluff, and will end up easy to overpower. Constrictors and vipers, however, attack faster and more powerfully, so the mongoose would end up losing.^{[citation needed]}

Indian brown mongoose, Herpestes fuscus

Some species can learn simple tricks. They can be domesticated and are kept as pets to control vermin. However, they can be more destructive than desired; when imported into the West Indies to kill rats, they destroyed most of the small, ground-based fauna. For this reason, it is illegal to import most species of mongooses into the United States,^[13] Australia, and other countries. Mongooses were introduced to Hawaii in 1883 and have had a significant negative effect on native species.^[14]

Reproduction

The mongoose emits a high-pitched noise, commonly known as giggling, when it mates. Giggling is also heard during courtship.^[15] Communities of female banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) synchronize their childbearing to the same day in order to deter infanticide by dominant females.^[16]

Relationship with humans

Banded mongoose, Mungos mungo

Ruddy mongoose, Herpestes smithii

Yellow mongoose

Black mongoose, Galerella nigrata

Mongooses are a common spectacle at roadside shows in Pakistan. Snake charmers keep mongooses for mock fights with snakes. On Okinawa (where mongooses were misguidedly brought in to control the local Habu snake), mongoose fights with these highly venomous snakes (Ovophis okinavensis and Trimeresurus flavoviridis) in a closed perimeter were presented as spectator events at such parks as Okinawa World; however, due to pressure from animal rights activists, the spectacle is less common today.^[17]
According to Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (1.35 & 1.87), Egyptians venerated native mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon) for their ability to handle venomous snakes and for their occasional diet of crocodile eggs.^{[citation needed]} The Buddhist god of wealth Vaiśravaṇa, or Dzambala for Tibetans, is frequently depicted holding a mongoose that is spitting jewels from its mouth.^{[citation needed]}. The Hindu god of wealth, Kubera (being the son of Vishrava ("Fame"), Kubera is also called Vaisravana), is often portrayed holding a mongoose in his left hand and hence the sight of a mongoose is considered lucky by some.^[18]
All mongoose species, except for Suricata suricatta, are classed as a "prohibited new organism" under New Zealand's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, preventing them from being imported into the country.^[19]

In popular culture

A well-known fictional mongoose is Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, who appears in a short story of the same title in The Jungle Book (1894) by Rudyard Kipling. In this tale set in India, the young mongoose saves his family from a krait and from Nag and Nagaina, two cobras. The story was later made into several films, and also a song by Donovan, among other references. A mongoose also features in Bram Stoker's novel, The Lair of the White Worm. The main character, Adam Salton, purchases one to independently hunt snakes. Game Freak's Pokémon franchise has a Pokémon named Zangoose that is based on and named after the mongoose.
As noted earlier, the mongoose is a prohibited animal in the United States (with the exception of Hawaii). However, an exception was made in the 1963 case of "Mr. Magoo", a mongoose brought to the Minnesota port of Duluth by a merchant seaman. Mr. Magoo, as the animal was to become known, faced being euthanized but a public campaign resulted in the intervention of Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, who exempted Magoo from the regulations. Magoo lived out his days on display as the most popular attraction of the Duluth Zoo, dying of old age in 1968.^[20]

Taxonomy

Common dwarf mongoose

Like other feliformian carnivorans, mongooses descended from the viverravines, which were civet- or genet-like mammals. Older classifications sometimes placed mongooses in the family Viverridae, but both morphological and molecular evidence speaks against the monophyly of this group, though they do have the same basic dental formula as the viverrids. Mongooses also have characteristic behavioral features that distinguish them from viverrids and other feliformian families. Less diverse than the viverrids, the mongoose family includes 14 genera and 33 species.
Mongooses are related to the other feliformian families, including Hyaenidae (hyenas), Viverridae (civets) and Felidae (cats). They are more distantly related to the caniformian carnivorans, including the family Mustelidae, which contains weasels, badgers and otters.
Genetic evidence indicates the family Eupleridae is the closest living group to mongooses. The Eupleridae contain the fossa and the other smaller Malagasy carnivorans.
Genetic evidence from several nuclear and mitochondrial genes argues against placing Malagasy galidiines in the mongoose family; instead, these species are more closely related to other Madagascar carnivorans, including the fossa and Malagasy civet.^[21][22] As a result, this subfamily was moved from Herpestidae to Eupleridae.

Classification

• Family Herpestidae
  • 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 kusimanse, Crossarchus alexandri
    • Angolan kusimanse, Crossarchus ansorgei
    • Common kusimanse, Crossarchus obscurus
    • Flat-headed kusimanse, Crossarchus platycephalus
  • Genus Cynictis
    • Yellow mongoose, Cynictis penicillata
  • Genus Dologale
    • Pousargues's mongoose, Dologale dybowskii
  • Genus Galerella
    • Angolan slender mongoose, Galerella flavescens
    • Somali slender mongoose, Galerella ochracea
    • Cape gray mongoose, Galerella pulverulenta
    • Slender mongoose, Galerella sanguinea
    • Black Mongoose, Galerella nigrata (recently added)
  • Genus Helogale
    • Ethiopian dwarf mongoose, Helogale hirtula
    • Common 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
    • Small Asian mongoose, Herpestes javanicus
    • Long-nosed mongoose, Herpestes naso
    • Collared mongoose, Herpestes semitorquatus
    • Ruddy mongoose, Herpestes smithii
    • Crab-eating mongoose, Herpestes urva
    • Stripe-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 Paracynictis
    • Selous' mongoose, Paracynictis selousi
  • Genus Rhynchogale
    • Meller's mongoose, Rhynchogale melleri
  • Genus Suricata
    • Meerkat, Suricata suricatta

The Sokoke bushy-tailed mongoose, Bdeogale omnivora,^[23] has not been included in the above list as many authorities consider it to be a sub-species of the bushy-tailed mongoose, Bdeogale crassicauda.^[1]

Gallery

For pictures of mongooses on Madagascar, see Galidiinae

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  Mongoose, or Mangouste as depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book
  
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  Common kusimanse, Crossarchus obscurus
  
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  Angolan slender mongoose (Galerella flavescens)
  
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  Slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea)
  
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  Banded mongoose, Mungos mungo
  
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  Meller's mongoose, Rhynchogale melleri
  
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  Meerkat, Suricata suricatta
  
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  Banded mongoose
  
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  Stripe-necked mongoose, Herpestes vitticollis
  
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  Small Asian mongoose, Herpestes javanicus
  
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  Indian gray mongoose, Herpestes edwardsii
  
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  Indian gray mongoose pups
  
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  Yellow mongoose, Cynictis penicillata
  
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  Cynictis penicillata mating
  
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  Yellow mongoose
  
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  Indian brown mongoose, Herpestes fuscus
  

References