Herpestes edwardsii, 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 : 309-310

5.

Indian Gray Mongoose

Herpestes edwardsii

French: Mangouste d'Edwards / German: Indischer Mungo / Spanish: Meloncillo gris

Taxonomy Ichneumon edwardsii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1818,

Madras, East Indies

Five subspecies are recognized, but a taxonomic revision is needed.

Subspecies and Distribution.

H. e. edwardsii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818 — SE India and Sri Lanka.

H. e. carnaticus Wroughton, 1921 — SW India (Karnatka).

H. e. moerens Wroughton, 1915 — Bangladesh, Bhutan, C & NE India, and Nepal.

H. e. montanus Bechthold, 1936 — Saudi Arabia to NW India.

H. e. pallens Ryley, 1914 — W India (Gujarat).

A few old museum specimens are reported from Peninsular Malaysia, whereit is said to have been introduced, butit has not been recorded there since the beginning of the 20" century.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 35-5— 45 cm, tail 32-45 cm, hindfoot 7-9 cm, ear 2-2 cm; mean weight 1-4 kg. Males are heavier and larger than females. A small mongoose, with a slender body, short legs, pointed muzzle, and short ears. The coat color is tawny or yellowish-gray; light and dark rings on the body hairs give the coat a grizzled appearance. A reddish coloration, particularly on the extremities (muzzle, feet, and tail), is variable, but is more frequent in the northern part of its range. The underparts are covered with short orange-brown hairs. The upperparts of the feet and limbs are reddish-brown. The tail is tipped with white or yellowish-red, never black. The hairs at the base of the tail are long, reaching up to 55 mm. Thetail length is 90 to 100% of the Head-body. The posterior chamber of the auditory bulla is not much inflated. Dental formula:13/3,C1/1,P4/4,M 2/2 = 40.

Habitat. Dry secondary forests, thorn forests, disturbed areas, plantations, and near human settlements. Recorded up to 2100 m. Frequents open, shrubby areas.

Food and Feeding. The diet is said to include rats, mice, snakes, lizards, frogs, insects, scorpions, centipedes, birds’ eggs, fruits, and roots. Has been seen feeding on carrion. The remains of grey francolins (Francolinus pondicerianus), rodents, and desert monitor (Varanus griseus) were found in a specimen stomach from Rajasthan, India. Another stomach contained termites and scorpions.

Activity patterns. Mainly diurnal, although may be active during dusk. Rests under rocks, bushes, and in holes at the base of trees or in the ground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Mainly solitary, but mating pairs and females with young have often been seen. A male radio-tracked for three months in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India, had an overall home range of 15-5 ha. Adopts a defensive posture when attacked by rolling into a ball, it places its head between its legs and underits bushy tail, and erects the long hairs on its back, thereby shielding its body with the parts that have the longest hairs (on the tail and the sacral and lumbar regions of the back). In captive individuals, vocal communications started at daybreak and reached a maximum by dusk; no vocalizations were heard at night. Juveniles were the most vocal, subordinates moderately, and dominants the least, which suggested that vocalizations played a role in social ranking.

Breeding. Two to three litters may be produced in a year. Gestation is 56-68 days. Births may occur in May-June and October-December; in central India litters were seen during June and July. Litter size is two to four. The young are helpless and blind at birth, but develop rapidly. They remain with the mother for up to six monthsif she does not mate again. A female was reported to mate for the first time at nine months old.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix III ( India). Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Often captured and sold as pets. Some tribes from northern India capture these mongooses for their skins, which they sell in local markets in Nepal. Also in demand for the wildlife trade: the meatis eaten by several tribes and the hair is used for making shaving brushes, paint brushes, and good luck charms. This species is captured by the Jogi tribes in Pakistan, who stage fights with cobras. Field surveys, ecological studies, and monitoring of threats are needed.

Bibliography. Al-Khalili (1984, 1990), Choudhury (2000), Christopher & Jayson (1996), Corbet & Hill (1992), Ewer (1973), Hinton & Dunn (1967), Kumar & Umapathy (2000), Pocock (194 1a), Prater (1980), Roberts (1977), Sasaki (1991), Shekar (2003), Shetty et al. (1990), Veron et al. (2007), 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. e. edwardsii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818 — SE India and Sri Lanka . H. e. carnaticus Wroughton, 1921 — SW India (Karnatka). H. e. moerens Wroughton, 1915 — Bangladesh , Bhutan , C & NE India , and Nepal . H. e. montanus Bechthold, 1936 — Saudi Arabia to NW India . H. e. pallens Ryley, 1914 — W India (Gujarat). A few old museum specimens are reported from Peninsular Malaysia , whereit is said to have been introduced, butit has not been recorded there since the beginning of the 20" century.