Herpestes urva, Illiger, 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 : 311-312

11.

Crab-eating Mongoose

Herpestes urva

French: Mangouste crabiére / German: Krabbenmanguste / Spanish: Meloncillo cangrejero

Taxonomy. Gulo urva Hodgson, 1836 ,

Nepal.

Four subspecies are recognized, but a taxonomic revision is needed.

Subspecies and Distribution.

H. u. wrva Hodgson, 1836 — Nepal through Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia.

H. u. annamensis Bechthold, 1936 — Vietnam.

H. u. formosanus Bechthold, 1936 — Taiwart.

H. u. sinensis Bechthold, 1936 — S China (and Hainan I).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 44-55. 8 cm,tail 26.5-34 cm, hindfoot 9-10. 9 cm, ear 2:9.3-5 cm; weight 3-4 kg. A fairly large mongoose, with long guard hairs (dorsal hairs are 40-50 mm long) and a white neck stripe. The coat color varies from gray to blackish-brown, with individual hairs ringed black and white. The chin is white, the throatis grayish, the chest is dark brown, and the belly is a lighter brown. The top of the head is pale grayish-brown, finely speckled with white. The muzzle is pale yellowish; the nose is flesh-colored with a deep vertical groove. The ears are short, broad, and rounded, and are covered with very short grayish hairs. The color ofthe iris varies from egg-yellow to deep brown. There is a white stripe that starts at the corner of the mouth and runs along the neck to the shoulder; the stripe is about 9-10 cm long and 8 mm wide at the base. The limbs are brown to black. The feet have shallow interdigital webs and strong claws; the naked sole on the hindfoot only extends about two-thirds the distance to the heel. The tail is bushy and tapering, and averages 63% the length of the head and body;it is the same color as the body, but becomes progressively ocherous (sometimes reddish) towards the tip. The anal glands on each side of the anus are about the size of a cherry and produce an aqueous fetid secretion (which can be squirted out with great force). There are three pairs of teats. The skull is large and heavy, but with relatively small crests. The posterior chamber of the auditory bulla is less flat than in the Javan Mongoose and extends to well below the occipital condyle. Mature individuals have a complete occipital bony orbit, although this may be incomplete in immature mongooses. Dental formula: 13/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40. The lower first premolar is inconspicuous and may be lacking in immatures; the last lower molar is small, but complex.

Habitat. Evergreen and deciduous forest, scrubby areas, and plantations. Also reported to inhabit wetlands, forest streams, and small marshes inside forests. Often found near pools and streams. Recorded up to 2000 m.

Food and Feeding. In northern Taiwan, the percentage occurrence of food items in scats was: 96% insects, 74% crustaceans, 656% amphibians, 48% reptiles, 18% earthworms, 17% gastropods, 14% chilopods, and less than 10% mammals, plants, birds, fish, and arachnids. In terms of overall volume, crustaceans (29%) and insects (28%) were the highest, followed by amphibians (16%) and reptiles (14%). The diet appeared to vary with changes in the availability of food in different habitats and seasons; Crab-eating Mongooses ate more insects in summer and autumn, more crustaceans in winter, and more reptiles in late spring and early summer. In south-eastern China, the percentage occurrence of food items in scats was: 65% rodents, 48% beetles, 45% snakes, 44% crabs, 10% clams, 8% birds, 8% grass, and 7% cherokee rose fruit. A few other mammals, amphibians, frogs, fish, locusts, snails, centipedes, and fruits were found at low occurrence (less than 6%). Crab-eating Mongooses hunt along the banks of streams, feeling under stones, and in rock crevices, and scratch, dig and sniff at the ground. They are supposed to be good divers and swimmers and do not hesitate to enter water. Crabs and molluscs are taken with the forepaws and either lifted and smashed on a rock or thrown between the hindlimbs to a hard surface behind.

Activity patterns. Diurnal according to recent evidence (radio-tracking, camera-trapping, and sightings), whereas previously it had been said to be nocturnal. Between 10:00 h and 18:00 h, a radio-collared female had a mean activity level of 56%. Rests in holes in the ground and in rock crevices. In south-eastern China, daybeds were underground dens (within a foothill region, adjacent to farmland).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Terrestrial and solitary, but has been seen in groups of up to four individuals. The home range of a radio-collared female in south-eastern China was at least 100 ha (located only seven times).

Breeding. The large testicle size of males caught in March—early April suggests that this is one possible breeding period. Gestation is 50 to 63 days andlitter size is two to four.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix III ( India). Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Very little is known about the ecology, population status and threats to this species, and more field surveys and ecological studies are needed. In Taiwan, people hunt this mongoose for meat and villagers across Laos trap it when they can. Coats made of pelts are widely sold at Chinese markets and live animals have been seen for sale as pets in a market in Cambodia. Pelts and meat of Crab-eating Mongooses are also sold along the Yunnan—-Vietnam border.

Bibliography. Choudhury (1997a, 1997b, 2000), Chuang & Lee (1997), Corbet & Hill (1992), Duckworth (1997), Duckworth & Robichaud (2005), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Lim (1992), Long & Hoang (2006), Pocock (1941a), Tan (1989), Wang & Fuller (2001, 2003b), Wells (1989), 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)

Subspecies and Distribution. H. u. wrva Hodgson, 1836 — Nepal through Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia . H. u. annamensis Bechthold, 1936 — Vietnam . H. u. formosanus Bechthold, 1936 — Taiwart. H. u. sinensis Bechthold, 1936 — S China (and Hainan I).