Ring-tailed mongoose
| Ring-tailed mongoose | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ring- tailed Mongoose ( Galidia elegans ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Galidia | ||||||||||||
| I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire , 1837 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Galidia elegans | ||||||||||||
| I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1837 |
The ring- tailed mongoose ( Galidia elegans ) is a species of predator that lives in Madagascar and belongs to the family of the Malagasy carnivores (Eupleridae).
anatomy
As with all Madagascar mongooses , the trunk is slender and elongated, the limbs are short, and the flattened head ends in a short, pointed snout. Ring-tailed mongooses have reddish-brown fur on their backs , their heads are light brown, while their legs and flanks are black. The belly is also dark in the nominate form , but in other subspecies it is clearly lighter. Their name can be traced back to their bushy tail, which is provided with five to seven alternating red-brown and black rings and reaches about two thirds of the body length. Their short, rounded ears are tipped with white. The feet are large, the toes are relatively short and webbed. These animals reach a head body length of 30 to 38 centimeters, a tail length of 26 to 29 centimeters and a weight of 650 to 960 grams, whereby the males are slightly heavier than the females.
distribution and habitat
Ring-tailed mongooses are common in eastern, northern and western Madagascar, they are the most common representatives of the Madagascar mongooses. They live in both the rainforests of the east and the drier deciduous forests of the west. They occur from sea level up to 1950 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Ring-tailed mongooses are mainly diurnal predators, but contrary to previous opinion, they can also go looking for food at night. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. They are nimble and good climbers, but mostly stay on the ground. They can also swim very well. To sleep, they retreat to earthworks they have dug themselves, in rock caves, under fallen tree trunks or in other shelters. The sleeping places are changed regularly to ward off predators and parasites.
At least part of the year they live in family groups made up of a full-grown couple and up to three young animals, but loners can sometimes be observed. A family group occupies an area of around 20 to 25 hectares that is marked with glandular secretions. Aggressive encounters often occur between animals from outside the group, especially adult males. The inferior animal expresses its subordination by holding its chest to the ground, putting its ears back and baring its teeth.
food
These animals feed on small mammals (such as rodents , tenreks, and lemurs ), fish, reptiles, frogs, and also invertebrates such as crabs, snails, millipedes, insects, and others. They dig their prey out of the ground or lurk on the banks of water, so that they can dive in at lightning speed and strike. Since they frequently climb trees to catch bird eggs or young birds, several species of birds hate them.
Sometimes they also invade human settlements and tear down poultry.
Reproduction
In eastern Madagascar, mating takes place between July and November, and after a gestation period of around 75 days, the female gives birth to a single young. This weighs 40 to 50 grams at birth and is hairy. After four days their eyes open, after twelve days they begin to walk. They are weaned after around 2 to 2.5 months. They are fully grown at around one year of age, until then they remain in their birth group. Sexual maturity occurs at around two years of age. One specimen in captivity lived to be 24 years old; life expectancy in the wild is unknown.
threat
In parts of the distribution area, the destruction of the habitat and food competition from introduced animals such as domestic cats and Indian civets pose a threat to the ring-tailed mongoose, and they are also hunted in some places. However, they are widespread and occur in high population densities, including in numerous protected areas. The IUCN therefore lists the species as "not endangered" ( least concern ).
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 .
- Nick Garbutt: Mammals of Madagascar. A Complete Guide. Yale University Press, New Haven & London 2007, ISBN 978-0-300-12550-4 .
Web links
- Galidia elegans onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved on June 19, 2009.