Mungotictis decemlineata lineata

Hawkins, A. F. A., Hawkins, C. E. & Jenkins, Paulina D., 2000, SHORT COMMUNICATION Mungotictis decemlineata lineata (Carnivora: Herpestidae), a mysterious Malagasy mongoose, Journal of Natural History 34 (2), pp. 305-310 : 306-307

History of Mungotictis decemlineata lineata

The type specimen of M. d. lineata is in The Natural History Museum, London (formerly the British Museum [Natural History]), labelled simply`Madagascar’. This specimen has had a colourful taxonomic history. Purchased from a Mr Tucker by the British Museum, it was described and ®gured by Gray (1848) as the type of Galidictis vittata , the holotype of which consists of a skin (BM[(NH] 1847.10.19. 3) and skull (BM[NH] 1848.5.12. 2) belonging to the same individual but registered separately. In his description, Gray stated that a Dr T. R. H. Thompson, who`...had one of these...on board ship,...says it was procured at Tulyah [Toliara] Bay’. Pocock (1915a) recognized the distinctiveness of the taxon and described and ®gured a new genus, Mungotictis , the type species of which was Galidictis vittata Gray, 1848 (type species by original designation), stating that the type specimen came from`Tulyah Bay’, although this is a misreading of Gray’s text. The new genus contained two species (both ®gured): Mungotictis vittatus ( Gray, 1848) (®gure 3) and Mungotictis substriatus Pocock, 1915a (®gure 4). Subsequently, Pocock (1915b) realised that Galidictis vittata Gray, 1848 was preoccupied by Galidictis vittata Schinz, 1844 ( G. vittata Gray, 1848 is a junior primary homonym of G. vittata Schinz, 1844 ) and proposed to rename the species, Mungotictis lineatus , the holotype of which is also BM(NH) 1847.10.19. 3 and BM(NH) 1848.5.12. 2 (type by replacement).

Pocock was presumably unaware of prior work by Grandidier, who had described Galidia decemlineata Grandidier, 1867a (a junior subjective synonym of G. vittata Gray, 1848 ) from one or more specimens collected in 1866 but later that year (1867b) used the name Galidictis vittata Gray , evidently for the same material collected between 1865 and 1867. Additional evidence that Grandidier believed that the two species were the same comes from the native names given for the former (1867a) as`Nom malgache: Bouqui’ and the latter (1867b) as`Nom sakalave: Bouki’.

Albignac (1973), although claiming that Galidia decemlineata Grandidier, 1867a was a nomen oblitum, adopted the name as valid for the narrow-striped mongoose, rather than lineata which was then in use. Albignac invoked the Code of Zoological Nomenclature of 1970, however the term nomen oblitum was no longer in force after 1 January 1973 and Albignac obviously published after this date. He divided the taxon into two subspecies: Mungotictis d. decemlineata ( Grandidier, 1867a) and Mungotictis d. lineata Pocock, 1915b. Following Albignac, this taxonomy has been used by most subsequent authors, e.g. Wozencraft (1986, 1993). Albignac (1973) also erroneously stated that the type specimen of lineata came from`Tulyah Bay’.

The only other specimen attributed to M. d. lineata by Albignac (1973) is AMNH 100478, collected by A. L. Rand at Lake Tsimanampetsotsa, about 100 km SW of

Toliara [24ss08¾S 43ss46¾E]. This was originally labelled by Rand as Galidictus [sic] striata , referring to Galidictis striata Geo roy, 1839, a species currently synonymized with G. fasciata ( Gmelin, 1788) that occurs in eastern Malagasy rainforest. This specimen has since been cited as the paratype of G. grandidieri Wozencraft, 1987 , which clearly di ers from either taxon of Mungotictis in having a very pale grey ground colour, wide blackish stripes that start on the neck, and a striking white tail.