Sokoke bush tailed mongoose

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Sokoke bush tailed mongoose
Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Predators (Carnivora)
Subordination : Feline (Feliformia)
Family : Mongooses (Herpestidae)
Genre : Black-footed mongoose ( Bdeogale )
Type : Sokoke bush tailed mongoose
Scientific name
Bdeogale omnivora
Heller , 1913

The Sokoke bush- tailed mongoose , or Sokokeichneumon ( Bdeogale omnivora ) is a predator in the mongoose family (Herpestidae). The taxon was considered a subspecies of the bush-tailed mongoose ( Bdeogale crassicauda ) for a long time . Recent taxonomic treatises and the IUCN recognize Bdeogale omnivora as a species.

features

With a head-to-body length of 34 to 45 cm, a tail length of 18 to 24 cm and a weight of 0.7 to 1.6 kg, the species is one of the smaller black-footed mongooses . The fur is predominantly light colored on the top, especially on the head and shoulders, which are almost white. The tail and legs are covered with brown fur. On the rump and tail there are some longer hairs with black tips. The last molar tooth in each half of the jaw is noticeably large.

Dark to black specimens documented with camera traps in the Usambara Mountains are melanistic animals of this species or bush- tailed mongoose.

Distribution, habitat, way of life

The Sokoke bush-tailed mongoose lives in a broader coastal strip in eastern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania . It can be found in forests in the lowlands and in mountains up to 1,700 meters above sea level. Occasionally adjoining open areas are visited to search for food.

The individuals are nocturnal and mainly hunt insects.

status

Most likely deforestation affects the existence of the species. There are various nature reserves in the range. The IUCN estimates a population decrease of around 10 percent between 2006 and 2016 and lists the Sokoke bush tailed mongoose as endangered (Vulnerable) . The period corresponds to approximately three generations.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Bdeogale crassicauda omnivora ).
  2. ↑ a b c d e Bdeogale omnivora in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Foley, C. & Do Linh San, E., 2016. Accessed April 23, 2017th
  3. ↑ a b Kingdon, Jonathan (ed.): Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals . Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015, pp. 442 (English, Bdeogale omnivora ).