Herpestes brachyurus, Illiger, 1811

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Herpestidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 262-328 : 309

4.

Short-tailed Mongoose

Herpestes brachyurus

French: Mangouste a queue courte / German: Kurzschwanzmungo / Spanish: Meloncillo colicorto

Taxonomy. Herpestes brachyurus Gray, 1837,

Malacca, Malaysia.

Hose’s Mongoose H. hose: from Borneo is known only from one specimen (an adult female) collected from Sarawak in 1893. This was treated as a separate species on the basis of a less rounded coronoid process of the lower mandible, but has also been considered an aberrant specimen of the Short-tailed Mongoose, and is here considered as a synonym of H. brachyurus.

The Collared Mongoose (H. semitorquatus) has also been considered a subspecies of H. brachyurus, but is now generally accepted as a valid species. Several subspecies of the Short-tailed Mongoose have been proposed, but a taxonomic revision is needed. The subspecies javanensis was described from a menagerie specimen labelled from Java, but there are no other records from this island. Four subspecies are recognized here.

Subspecies and Distribution.

H. b. brachyurus Gray, 1837 — S Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore.

H. b. palawanusJ.A. Allen, 1910 — the Philippines (Palawan & Calamian Is).

H. b. rajah Thomas, 1921 — Borneo.

H. b. sumatrius Thomas, 1921 — Sumatra.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 35-49 cm (males), 36.8-46 cm (females), tail 19.3-24. 5 cm (males), 17.2-25 cm (females), hindfoot 7.5-9. 6 cm (males), 7.9-9. 3 cm (females), ear 2.3-2 cm (males), 2.8-3. 2 cm (females); weight 1-3 kg (males), 1.2-2.5 kg (females). The general coat color is dark brown, finely marked with orange or yellow speckling. The head is paler and more olive-brown, the forelegs and lower half of the hindlegs are dark brown, the cheeks and throat rusty yellowish-brown, and the chest and belly are brown. Thetail is short, usually less than 55% of the head-body length, and tapers from the base to the tip. The eyes are reddish-brown with a horizontal, oval pupil; the ears are small, and the nose is large and reddish-orange. There are five digits on the foreand hindfeet, although the first digits are much smaller than the rest. The claws are long. The posterior chamber of the auditory bulla is less flat than in the Javan Mongoose and extends to well below the occipital condyle. Dental formula: 13/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40. The cuspids are sharp and the carnassial shear is well-developed.

Habitat. Primary and disturbed forest; often found close to rivers and small streams. Occasionally recorded in plantations adjacent to forest. Found at low elevations on Peninsular Malaysia, but has been recorded up to 1280 m on Borneo.

Food and Feeding. Reported to feed on small vertebrates, invertebrates, eggs,fruits, and roots. The stomach content of one individual from north Borneo included fragments of insects (scarab beetle, orthopterans), spider, crab, and a reptile egg. Another Bornean specimen, collected from the banks of a stream, was found to be full of cockroaches.

Activity patterns. Diurnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Solitary. Terrestrial, but has been reported as having limited climbing ability.

Breeding. Nothing known.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Threats to this species are unknown, but this species may be eaten in some parts of Sarawak. Field surveys, ecological studies, and assessments of possible threats are needed.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Davis (1962), Esselstyn et al. (2004), Medway (1969), Payne et al. (1985), Schwarz (1947), Van Rompaey (2000), Wells (1989), Wozencraft (2005).

Figures

1. Marsh Mongoose (Atilax paludinosus), 2. Long-nosed Mongoose (Xenogale naso), 3. Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), 4. Short-tailed Mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus), 5. Indian Gray Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), 6. Indian Brown Mongoose (Herpestes fuscus), 7. Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), 8. Javan Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), 9. Collared Mongoose (Herpestes semitorquatus), 10. Ruddy Mongoose (Herpestes smith), 11. Crab-eating Mongoose (Herpestes urva), 12. Stripe-necked Mongoose (Herpestes vitticollis)

Subspecies and Distribution. H. b. brachyurus Gray, 1837 — S Thailand , Peninsular Malaysia , and Singapore . H. b. palawanusJ.A. Allen, 1910 — the Philippines (Palawan & Calamian Is). H. b. rajah Thomas, 1921 — Borneo. H. b. sumatrius Thomas, 1921 — Sumatra.