Galidictis fasciata (Gmelin, 1788)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Eupleridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 330-351 : 348-349

5.

Broad-striped Vontsira

Galidictis fasciata

French: Galidie a bandes larges / German: Breitstreifenmungo / Spanish: Galidia bandeada

Other common names: Broad-striped Malagasy Mongoose, Vontsira Fotsy, Bakiaka Betanimena, Bakiaka Belemboka

Taxonomy. Viverra fasciata Gmelin, 1788 ,

type locality presumed to be Madagascar, erroneously listed by Gmelin as “ India ” .

Pocock revised this genus and recognized two species occurring in the eastern humid forest: G. eximius in the north and G. ornatus in the south. Subsequently, Albignac reduced these to one species and recognized G. eximius as G. f. fasciatus and G. ornatus as G. [. strata. These two geographic forms are recognized here, but are poorly differentiated, and based on current evidence probably do not warrant recognition.

Subspecies and Distribution.

G. f. fasciata Gmelin, 1788 — C & SE Madagascar (at least as far N as the Kianjavato region).

G. f. striata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826 — CE Madagascar (from near Brickaville and N to the Sihanaka Forest E of Lac Alaotra).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 30-34 cm, tail 24.9-29. 3 cm, hindfoot 6:9.7-4 cm, ear 3.3-2 cm; weight 520-745 g. The body form is mongoose-like, with relatively short feet and a furred unicolored tail that is a little less than one-half of the body length. The dorsal pelage is an overall grayish-beige that extends to the feet and proximal portion of tail. The head is a grizzled grayish brown, and the venteris distinctly paler. The distal two-thirds of the tail is a distinct creamy-white. The dorsum is marked from the nape to the base of the tail with distinct dark brown longitudinal bands that are wider or equal in width to the grayish-beige interlines.

Habitat. Broad-striped Vontsira occurs in the eastern humid forests of the island, across an elevation range from lowland forest to montane forest at about 1500 m. It is not known from littoral forests on sandy substrate. Recent exploration of the eastern humid forest indicates that it has a much broader geographic range than previously recognized, from at least Masoala in the north to Andohahela in the south. Reports from the mountains surrounding the Andapa Basin need further verification. Most records are from relatively intact forests, but it has been reported from degraded forested habitats. A previous report of this species in a salt marsh is a mistaken record of Grandidier’s Vontsira.

Food and Feeding. No quantitative information is available on the diet ofthis species, but it has been inferred to feed largely on rodents and small lemurs, and perhaps on reptiles and amphibians. It is known to raid forest camp food reserves on occasion, but its reputation as a chicken thiefin villages needs to be verified based on scat analysis.

Activity patterns. Very few details are available. This species is largely terrestrial and secretive. Individuals have been trapped on large downed logs and observed climbing in trees up to 1-5 m above the ground. During field inventories,it is trapped as often as it is seen, further attesting to its secretive habits.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No precise details available. It has never been found in high densities in carnivore surveys and it is poorly known by people living near the forest edge. This might be because it is nocturnal and seems not to venture outside of the forest. At several sites, local informants claimed to be familiar with “vontsira fotsy”, but further questioning made it clear that they confused this species with the Small Indian Civet ( Viverricula indica), an introduced carnivore with superficially similar pelage that occurs in open areas and at the forest edge.

Breeding. It has been proposed that the sociallife of Broad-striped Vontsira is similar to that of Ring-tailed Vontsira, but few details are available on its reproductive activities and seasonality. A female captured in the south-east in November 1995, did not show signs of reproductive activity and the following day at the same site a sub-adult was trapped. Females have a single pair of inguinal mammae. Males with scrotaltestes have been captured between late October and late November.

Status and Conservation. Listed in The IUCN Red List as Near Threatened. This species has a broad distribution in the eastern humid forests of Madagascar, including montane forest habitat that remains relatively untouched as compared to lowland forests. Presumably it is widely distributed and occurs at relatively low densities.

Bibliography. Albignac (1973), Barden et al. (1991), Goodman (1996a, 1996b, 2003a, 2003c), Goodman & Pidgeon (1999), Grandidier & Petit (1932), Hawkins et al. (2000), IUCN (2007), Nicoll (2008), Pocock (1915a, 1915b), Schreiber et al. (1989), Wozencraft (1986).

Figures

On following pages: 2. Falanouc (Eupleres goudotii); 3. Spotted Fanaloka (Fossa fossana); 4. Ring-tailed Vontsira (Galidia elegans); 5. Broad-striped Vontsira (Galidictis fasciata); 6. Grandidier's Vontsira (Galidictis grandidier:; 7. Narrow-striped Boky (Mungotictis decemlineata); 8. Brown-tailed Vontsira (Salanoia concolor.

Subspecies and Distribution. G. f. fasciata Gmelin, 1788 — C & SE Madagascar (at least as far N as the Kianjavato region). G. f. striata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826 — CE Madagascar (from near Brickaville and N to the Sihanaka Forest E of Lac Alaotra).