Herpestes ichneumon, 1811

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Herpestidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 262-328 : 310-311

7.

Egyptian Mongoose

Herpestes ichneumon

French: Mangouste d'Egypte / German: Ichneumon / Spanish: Meloncillo

Other common names: Large Gray Mongoose, Ichneumon

Taxonomy. Viverra ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758 ,

Egypt.

Up to ten subspecies are recognized, but a taxonomic revision is needed.

Distribution. Iberian Peninsula, N Africa, and the Middle East in S Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel; in Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Gambia to E Africa in Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya and then S to Gabon, Angola, N Namibia, N Botswana, N Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa. Occurrence in Europe ( Portugal and Spain) likely due to introduction from North Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 55.7-61 cm (males), 50-58 cm (females), tail 44.7-61 cm (males), 43.5-56. 3 cm (females), hindfoot 9.5-11. 5 cm (males), 8:9-11. 4 cm (females), ear 2.5-3. 8 cm (males), 3.4-2 cm (females); weight 2:6.4-1 kg (males), 2:2.4-1 kg (females). Grizzled gray body, with darker head, and black on the lower limbs. Coarse guard hairs up to 80 mm on rump, tapering to 40 mm toward tail tip, but tail tip hairs up to 13 cm. Shorter hair on underparts. Hairs annulated with five to six black and white alternating bands and white tip. Soft underfur of variable color, but generally gray at fore and red to yellow toward flank. Long-bodied, with relatively short legs. Long head with pointed muzzle and short rostrum. Long tail (longer than head-body) ends in long black-tassled tip. Short, rounded ears, partially covered by hair. Five digits, with shortfirst digit situated behind plantar pad. Claws long (up to 15 mm) and curved. Scent glandslie either side of the anus, opening into a pouch, and are surrounded by two rows of sebaceous glands. Females normally possess three pairs of mammae (sometimes two pairs). Long, narrow skull with zygomatic arch breadth less than half skull length. Ovoid, elongate brain case. Well-developed supraoccipital crest, rising to 7 mm. Sagittal crest not well-developed. Anterior chambers of ear bullae larger than posterior. Zygomatic arches strong. Long postorbital processes. Dental formula: 13/3, C1/1,P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40. Outer upper incisors are larger than inner; less obvious in lower jaw. Lower canines more recurved than upper. Carnassials have high cusps suggesting crushing rather than slicing action.

Habitat. Flat, grassy, open riparian areas, alongside rivers, dams, lakes, and swamps. A study in South Africa found this species to preferentially occupy open habitat and avoid forest. In Spain, individuals appear to prefer vegetative to open habitat.

Food and Feeding. A study of scats in Spain suggested opportunistic predation, with Egyptian Mongooses consuming the most abundant prey available in each area and season. Percentage of food types from 105 scats collected in south Western Cape ( South Africa): unidentified rodents (17%), Coleoptera (12%), green grass (12%), Orthoptera (10-56%), Rhabdomys pumilio (rodent, 5-5%), Otomys irroratus (rodent, 5:5%), dry grass (4-5%), seed (4-5%), unidentified bird (4:2%), unidentified snake (3-7%), terrestrial Gastropod (2:4%), Bitis arietans (snake, 2:1%), bird egg (1-3%), fish (1%), Bathyergus suillus (rodent, 1%), unidentified shrews (1%), Praomys verrauxi (rodent, 0-8%), felid (0-5%), unidentified lizard (0-5%), Mabuya species (0-5%), scorpion (0-5%), solifugid (0-5%), Cryptomys hottentotus (rodent, 0-3%), Myosorex varwus (0:3%), Chrysochloris asiatica (0-3%), Procavia capensis (0-3%), crab (0-3%), spider (0-:3%), millipede (0-3%), and freshwater Gastropod (0-3%). Percentage occurrence of food types from 19 stomachs collected in Zimbabwe: Muridae (63%), Aves (37%), Amphibia (16%), Reptilia (16%), and Insecta (16%). European Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) form the staple prey in Spain, with lizards, insects (including beetles), birds (Anas platyrhynchos), rats ( Rattus rattus) and tortoises (Testudo graeca) also recorded. Apparently resistant to snake venom (neurotoxins). Powerful digger. The name “Ichneumon” is thought to be derived from the Greek word for “tracker” in relation to their ability to find and dig out crocodile eggs. Adults kill small prey with a bite to the head, and large prey with a bite to the neck, eating from the head. Hunts alone, although in Spain, two or three individuals were observed simultaneously excavating rabbit breeding dens. Occasional food sharing of rabbit prey was also observed in Spain.

Activity patterns. Mainly diurnal (in South Africa and Spain), but some nocturnal activity recorded in South Africa, and a group studied in Israel was crepuscular (this may have been induced by vulnerability to dogs). A study of a Spanish population showed the activity budget to comprise 70% resting, 21% foraging, 6% eating, and 3% walking.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Solitary, although occasionally seen in pairs and larger groups (up to five in Spain, including pups). Larger groups thought to be polygynous, made up of one male and several females (up to three in Israel), with their pups. In Israel, individuals with access to a garbage dump formed territorial social groups, with four groups found occupying a total range of 3 km ®. In South Africa, home ranges varied from 0-30 to 0-45 km?®. In Spain, mean home range was 3-1 km? and density reached 2 individuals/km* (density negatively correlated with the presence of Iberian Lynx). The home range of a radio-collared male was elongated in shape, following the border of a marsh. Female home ranges overlapped substantially, but core areas were almost exclusive. Male home ranges showed minimal overlap, but tended to overlap numerous females’ home ranges (one male overlapped four female ranges, another five females). Home range size was correlated with body mass, negatively in females and positively in males. In Spain, male daily home range size averaged 2-3 times that of females, but there was no difference in male and female multi-day home range size. An adult male travelled from 0-6 to 6-4 km per day. Latrines are used by all family members, and tend to be found near resting sites in preferred habitats. Individuals anal-mark stones along trails by squatting or anal dragging. The anal gland secretion is composed of complex long-chain carboxylic acids. Sex-specific components differentiate male and female secretions. Seven distinct vocalizations have been described: a deep, sharp growling alarm call that elicits fleeing in other individuals; a short, repeated contact call given by individuals during foraging; a growl associated with defence of food, territory or mate; a bark or spit given during mating or fighting; and a short, sharp, vigorous pain call. The pain call is the only vocalization made by solitary individuals. Underground dens (dug by European Rabbits or European Badgers), thickets and tree hollows, are used as nocturnal and day rest sites in Spain.

Breeding. Sexual maturity is reached at over one year of age. During the breeding season, males increase frequency of contact with females. Mating occurs over two months in the spring. Females usually have only one litter per year but will produce a second litter if the first is lost or if the rodent population is high. Gestation lasts approximately 60 days. Litter size averages 2-7 in Spain and 3-3 (range = 1-4) in captivity, in Israel. The female reared the pups alone in Spain, but in Israel, group members shared babysitting. The pups’ eyes open at approximately 21 days. Weaning occurs between four to eight weeks. Pups are mobile at four weeks,first emerge around six weeks, and show first hunting behavior at ten weeks. In Israel, pups suckled from any breeding female in the group. Adults provision pups until they are a year old, when the young may disperse. In Spain, annual adult survival rate varied between 0-13 and 0-60. In Israel, only 3% of individuals survived to two years, with hunting and road kills accounting for 69% of mortality. The oldest known individual in captivity lived to over 20 years. Predators in Spain include the Iberian Lynx; domestic dogs kill mongooses in Israel.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Wide distribution suggests this speciesis unlikely to become threatened in the foreseeable future. However dependence upon riparian habitats leaves them vulnerable to drainage and ground water extraction. Subject to predator control in Portugal, where it has recently increased its distribution northwards, and increased in local population densities (as in Spain). The Egyptian Mongoose’s behavioral ecology is relatively well known from Spain, but is understudied in its native Africa.

Bibliography. Angelici (2000), Bdolah et al. (1997), Beltran (1991), Beltran et al. (1985), Ben Yaacov & Yom Tov (1983), Dobson (1998), Hefetz et al. (1984), Maddock & Perrin (1993), Nowak (1999), Palomares (1991, 1993a, 1993b, 1994), Palomares & Delibes (1992, 1993), Skinner & Chimimba (2005), Wozencraft (2005).

Figures

1. Marsh Mongoose (Atilax paludinosus), 2. Long-nosed Mongoose (Xenogale naso), 3. Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), 4. Short-tailed Mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus), 5. Indian Gray Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), 6. Indian Brown Mongoose (Herpestes fuscus), 7. Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), 8. Javan Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), 9. Collared Mongoose (Herpestes semitorquatus), 10. Ruddy Mongoose (Herpestes smith), 11. Crab-eating Mongoose (Herpestes urva), 12. Stripe-necked Mongoose (Herpestes vitticollis)

Distribution. Iberian Peninsula, N Africa, and the Middle East in S Turkey , Syria , Lebanon , Jordan , and Israel ; in Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Gambia to E Africa in Sudan , Ethiopia , Somalia , and Kenya and then S to Gabon , Angola , N Namibia , N Botswana , N Zimbabwe , Mozambique , and South Africa . Occurrence in Europe ( Portugal and Spain ) likely due to introduction from North Africa.