Galerella sanguinea (Rüppell, 1836)

W. Christopher Wozencraft, 1993, Order Carnivora, Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 279-348 : 303

Galerella sanguinea (Rüppell, 1836) . Neue Wirbelt. Fauna Abyssin. Gehörig. Säugeth., 1:27.

TYPE LOCALITY: "Kordofan" [ Sudan].

DISTRIBUTION: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde Isis, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritana, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

SYNONYMS: auratus Thomas and Wroughton, 1908; badius Smith, 1838; bocagei Thomas and Wroughton, 1905; bradfieldi Roberts, 1932; bruneoochracea Matschie, 1914; caldatus Thomas, 1927; canus Wroughton, 1907; caurinus Thomas, 1926 ; cauui Smith, 1836; condradsi Matschie, 1914; dasilvai Roberts, 1938; dentifer Heller, 1913; elegans Matschie, 1914 ; emini Matschie, 1914; ererensis Matschie, 1914; erlangeri Matschie, 1914; erongensis Roberts, 1946; flaviventris Matschie, 1914; fulvidior Thomas, 1904; fuscus Rüppell, 1835 ; galbus Wroughton, 1909; galinieri Guérin and Ferret, 1847; gracilis Rüppell, 1835 ; granti Gray, 1864; ignitoides Roberts, 1932; ignitus Roberts, 1913; iodoprymnus Heuglin, 1861; kalaharicus Roberts, 1932; kaokoensis Roberts, 1932; khanensis Roberts, 1932; lancasteri Roberts, 1932; lefebvrei Desmurs and Prévost, 1850; lundensis Monard, 1935; marae Matschie, 1914; melanura Martin, 1836; mossambica Matschie, 1914; mustela Schwarz, 1935; mutgigella Rüppell, 1835; mutscheltschela Heuglin, 1877; neumanni Matschie, 1894; ngamiensis Roberts, 1932; nigricaudatus I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1839; ochraceus Gray, 1849 ; ochromelas Pucheran, 1855; okavangensis Roberts, 1932; orestes Heller, 1911; ornatus Peters, 1852 ; parvipes Hollister, 1916; perfulvidus Thomas, 1904; phoenicurus Thomas, 1912; proteus Thomas, 1907; punctulatus Gray, 1849; ratlamuchi Smith, 1836; rendilis Lönnberg, 1912; ruasae Matschie, 1914; ruficauda Heuglin, 1877; saharae Thomas, 1925; schimperi Matschie, 1914; swinnyi Roberts, 1913; talboti Thomas and Wroughton, 1907; turstigi Matschie, 1914; ugandae Wroughton, 1909; upingtoni Shortridge, 1934; venatica Gray, 1865 ; zombae Wroughton, 1907.

COMMENTS: This engimatic group, reviewed by Taylor (1975), is represented by several allopatric populations (A situation similar to the Genetta genetta complex where they are recognized as conspecific). Watson and Dippenaar (1987), in their revision, argued for the separation of nigratus Thomas, 1928 (= flavescens ), and swalius Thomas, 1926 , and considered swinnyi Roberts, 1913, as incertae sedis (included here), although their study did not include representative samples from NE and W Africa. It is believed that swinnyi has been extirpated from the type locality (Watson, in litt.). Taylor (1989) suggested that the allopatric ochraceus from Somalia warrants full specific status. Certainly, these studies suggests that a thorough revision, inclusive of all of the African forms of sanguinea is badly needed.