Indian brown mongoose
| Indian brown mongoose | |
|---|---|
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| Adult from the southern Western Ghats | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Species: | H. fuscus
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| Binomial name | |
| Herpestes fuscus Waterhouse, 1838
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| Indian brown mongoose range | |
The Indian brown mongoose (Herpestes fuscus) looks similar to the short-tailed mongoose from Southeast Asia and is sometimes believed to be only a subspecies of this latter. The Indian brown mongoose is found in southwest India and Sri Lanka.[1]
Description
The Indian brown mongoose appears large compared to the other mongoose species in southern Western Ghats. This species has a dark brown body and its legs are noticeably in black colour. The tail length is two third of its body length and more furry than that of the small Indian mongoose. A pointed tail and fur beneath the hind leg help to distinguish this species from others.[2]
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From Western Ghats, India -
From Western Ghats, India -
An old illustration of H. f. maccarthiae
Distribution
In South India, it is found from 700 to 1,300 m from Virajpet in south Coorg and Ooty in the Nilgiri hills, Tiger Shola in the Palni hills, High Wavy Mountains in Madurai, Kalakad-Mundanthurai in Agasthyamalai hills, Valparai plateau in the Anamalai hills, and Peeramedu in Kerala.[1]
Subspecies
- H. f. fuscus
- H. f. flavidens
- H. f. maccarthiae
- H. f. rubidior
- H. f. siccatus
References
- ^ a b IUCN (2015). "Herpestes fuscus: Mudappa, D. & Jathanna, D". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2015-4.rlts.t41612a45207051.en.
- ^ A Field Guide to Indian Mammals by Vivek Menon
External links
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