Ring-tailed Mongoose
| Ring-tailed mongoose | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Eupleridae |
| Subfamily: | Galidiinae |
| Genus: | Galidia |
| Species: | G. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| Galidia elegans Saint-Hilaire, 1837 |
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| Ring-tailed Mongoose range | |
The Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans) is a euplerid that lives on the island of Madagascar.[2] There is actually much disagreement about the placement of Madagascar's carnivores including the Ring-tailed mongoose, within the phylogenetic tree. Recent molecular work by Anne Yoder et al. (2003) reported in the journal "Nature" suggests that the Malagasy Carnivora evolved from a single herpestid (mongoose) ancestor.[Full citation needed]
The Ring-tailed mongoose is relatively small but is the largest member of the Subfamily Galidiinae. It is usually 32 to 38 cm (12.5 to 15 in) long and weighs only 700 to 900 g (24 to 32 oz). Its body is long and slender, and the rounded head has a pointed snout. The body is a dark red color and the feet are black. As the name implies, its bushy tail is covered with black and red rings.
Ring-tailed mongooses are very agile, and good climbers. They are quite playful and are active during the day. Their habitat consists of humid forests.
Their diet is mostly of small mammals, invertebrates, fish, reptiles and eggs, but they occasionally eat insects and fruit. The population of Ring-tailed mongooses has decreased by 20% over the past ten years due to habitat loss.[citation needed] Another problem is competition with the small Indian civet (Vivericula indica).[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Hawkins, A.F.A. (2008). Galidia elegans. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 22 March 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
- ^ Wozencraft, W. Christopher (16 November 2005). "Order Carnivora (pp. 532-628)". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000455.
[edit] External links
- Animal Diversity Web Ring-tailed mongoose
- Malagasy ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans) - ARKive.org
