Ichneumon
| Ichneumon | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ichneumon ( Herpestes ichneumon ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Herpestes ichneumon | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The (occasionally also the ) ichneumon ( Herpestes ichneumon ) or the melon in the narrower sense is a species of predator from the mongoose family (Herpestidae). (In a broader sense, other African species of mongoose are also sometimes referred to as Ichneumons.) It represents the mongoose in Africa and is also the only mongoose native to European soil. The name is derived from the ancient Greek ἰχνεύμων ichneúmōn or ἰχνευτής ichneutēs and actually means 'tracker', but already describes this animal ('Egyptian weasel species').
features
Ichneumons reach a head body length of 50 to 65 centimeters, in addition there are 33 to 45 centimeters of tail. The weight is 1.7 to 4 kilograms. The body is slender and elongated, the limbs relatively short, and the tail is bushy. They have long-haired, gray fur with brown speckles and are generally of a rather inconspicuous appearance. The face is pointed and the eyes are surrounded by bare rings.
distribution and habitat
Ichneumons are distributed over large parts of Africa and are only absent in dry deserts and very dense rainforests. Their preferred habitat is the savannah . In addition, Asia Minor and Palestine are part of their natural range. They are the only mongoose species to be found in southern Europe, Spain and Portugal . It is disputed whether the stocks there are of natural origin or were introduced by humans in antiquity. More recently they have also been introduced in Italy and Madagascar .
Way of life
In their entire way of life, Ichneumons show very strong parallels to the mongoose : During the day they look for food and eat insects, rodents, birds and reptiles. Like mongooses, they can overwhelm poisonous snakes with lightning-fast grabs. They also like to eat eggs, which they pick up with their hind legs and fling against a rock to crack the shell.
There are various reports on social behavior; solitary animals as well as animals living in pairs have been observed.
Reproduction
After a gestation period of 60 to 84 days, the female gives birth to two to four young animals. You will be suckled for four to eight weeks and will be self-employed at six to twelve months. Life expectancy in human care can be over 20 years.
Ichneumons and humans
In ancient Egypt the Ichneumon was revered as a sacred animal (in French it is called rat des pharaons , "Pharaoh rat ") and can be found in numerous frescoes and reliefs, especially from the Ptolemaic period , but also from the Old Kingdom . The Ichneumon's popularity, like that of the mongoose in India, is related to its reputation as a snake fighter. Aristotle described these snake fights, and Herodotus described that ichneumons were embalmed and buried in holy places. Pliny the Elder tells of an Egyptian popular belief that the Ichneumon jumps into the mouths of sleeping crocodiles, rips out their hearts and thereby kills them. Of course, this has no relation to reality, but it contributed to the popularity of the Ichneumon.
Hazardous situation
The Ichneumon is listed in the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) , but the species is designated as “Least Concern”.
literature
- Hans Bonnet: Ichneumon , in: Lexikon der ägyptischen Religionsgeschichte , Hamburg 2000 ISBN 3-937872-08-6 p. 321.
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
Web links
- Ichneumon on Animal Diversity Web
- Distribution map
- Herpestes ichneumon in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2009. Posted by: Cavallini, P. & Palomares, F., 2008. Accessed January 26 of 2010.
Individual evidence
- ^ Wilhelm Gemoll : Greek-German school and hand dictionary . G. Freytag Verlag / Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky, Munich / Vienna 1965.
- ^ Hans Bonnet: Ichneumon , in: Lexikon der ägyptischen Religionsgeschichte , p. 321.