Nothing approaching a consensus has emerged regarding the taxonomy of G. sanguinea and its subspecies. In most of the existing literature, it is referred to as Herpestes sanguineus, of the subfamily Herpestinae, part of the family Viverridae.
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
As a single species, G. sanguinea is widespread and not endangered. Little reliable information exists about most of its subspecies. As G. sanguinea is subject to the same pressures as its African herpestid and viverrid relatives, some of which are endangered, it is likely that some subspecies are threatened with extinction.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
G. sanguinea is believed to be an important vector for rabies in East Africa. (Hinton, 1967) They will also kill domestic poultry when available. Mongooses have been the targets of extermination efforts for these reasons.
They help to control insect and rodent pests. For this reason, other species of mongoose have been introduced around the world, but often do more harm than good.
G. sanguinea are opportunistic feeders. Insects make up the largest portion of the diet, supplemented by lizards, rodents, snakes, birds, amphibians, and fruit. (Smithers, 1983) They will eat carrion and eggs, which they crack open by propelling with the forefeet backward between the hind feet against a hard object. Like other mongooses, they are capable of killing large, venomous snakes, which they then eat, but these are not a significant portion of their diet.
Galerella sanguinea has as many as 40 subspecies, which are distributed throughout savanna and semiarid regions of subsaharan Africa. They are not known to inhabit extreme desert or the densely forested parts of equatorial Africa. (Taylor, 1975)
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
Slender mongooses are not picky when it comes to habitat, inhabiting a wide variety of biomes within their broad geographic range. They seem to avoid dense tropical forest, but will live anywhere from "arid hills on which there is only a little stunted vegetation, or thick scrub or low forest, or level sandy plains whether comparatively open, bush-covered or lightly wooded." (Hinton, 1967)
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 12.6 years.
Body length, 27.5-40 cm; tail length, 23-33 cm.
As its common name, the "slender mongoose", implies, Galerella sanguinea is one of the smallest mongooses. Like other mongooses, it has short legs and a long, slim body. On average, males are 10-20% larger than females. They are usually reddish, yellowish or gray in color, more rarely dark brown, often speckled, and have a black or red tip of the tail. Ventral pelage ranges from pale yellowish-brown to white. There is considerable variability in coloration among subspecies, usually correlated with soil color for camouflage. They have finer, silkier fur than other African herpestids.(Parker, 1990)
The dental formula for G. sanguinea is 3/3, 1/1, 4/3, 2/2 = 38 (most closely related species have 4 lower premolars) (Taylor, 1975). The first upper premolar is small and occasionally absent; the carnassials are robust. It has five toes on both fore and hind feet.
Range mass: 350 to 900 g.
Average mass: 500 g.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average basal metabolic rate: 2.202 W.
A dominant male's range generally includes the range of several females. Scent cues inform him when a female is in estrus, and a brief courtship occurs. In Galerella sanguinea, the male takes no part in the raising of the young. (Macdonald, 1984)
Timing of pregnancy varies depending on the location and the subspecies, but reproductive activity seems to be concentrated in the period from October to April. Gestation period is believed to be 60-70 days. 2 young are usually born per pregnancy. (Taylor, 1975)
G. sanguinea are believed to reach sexual maturity between 1 and 2 years of age, and may live to be 10 years old.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average gestation period: 65 days.
Average number of offspring: 2.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 365 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 365 days.
The common slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa.[2]
The scientific name Herpestes sanguineus was proposed by Eduard Rüppell in 1835 who described a reddish mongoose observed in the Kordofan region.[3]
The common slender mongoose, with up to fifty subspecies, are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with the black mongoose of Angola and Namibia sometimes considered a separate species. They are adaptable and can live nearly anywhere in this wide range, but are most common in the savannah and semiarid plains. They are much rarer in densely forested areas and deserts.
As the name suggests, the common slender mongoose has a lithe body of 27.5–40 cm (10.8–15.7 in) and a long tail of 23–33 cm (9–13 in). Males weigh 640–715 g (22.6–25.2 oz), while the smaller females weigh 460–575 g (16.2–20.3 oz).
The color of their fur varies widely between subspecies, from a dark reddish-brown to an orange red, grey, or even golden yellow, but these mongooses can be distinguished from other mongooses due to the prominent black or red tip on their tails. They also have silkier fur than the other African members of their family.
The common slender mongoose generally lives either alone or in pairs. It is primarily diurnal, although it is sometimes active on warm, moonlit nights. It doesn't seem to be territorial, but will nevertheless maintain stable home ranges that are often shared with members of related species. Indeed, the common slender mongoose and these other species may even den together, as most of their relatives are nocturnal. Dens may be found anywhere sheltered from the elements: in crevices between rocks, in hollow logs, and the like.
A male's range will include the ranges of several females, and scent cues inform him when the female is in heat. The gestation period is believed to be 60 to 70 days, and most pregnancies result in one to three (usually two) young. The male does not help care for them. Unusually, for a solitary species, in the Kalahari the males are philopatric whereas the females disperse.[4] This is thought to be due to the benefits of kin cooperation by males in defence of females.
The common slender mongoose is primarily carnivorous, though it is an opportunistic omnivore. Insects make up the bulk of its diet, but lizards, rodents, snakes, birds, amphibians, and the occasional fruit are eaten when available. It will also eat carrion and eggs. As befits the popular image of mongooses, the slender mongoose is capable of killing and subsequently eating venomous snakes, but such snakes do not constitute a significant portion of its diet.
Common slender mongooses are more adept at climbing trees than other mongooses, often hunting birds there.
The common slender mongoose has been targeted by extermination efforts in the past, due to its potential to be a rabies vector and the fact that it sometimes kills domestic poultry. These efforts have not been conspicuously successful, although some subspecies may be threatened. It is in no immediate danger of extinction, and is IUCN Red Listed as least concern.[1]
The common slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa.
