Bengal mongoose

Bengal mongoose

Small Indian mongoose

SUBSPECIES OF

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SPECIES
Herpestes javanicus palustris

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata ) is a mongoose species native to Iraq and northern South Asia; it has also been introduced to many regions of the world, such as several Caribbean and Pacific islands.

Appearance

The small Indian mongoose's body is slender, and the head is elongated with a pointed snout. The length of the head and body is 509–671 millimetres (20.0–26.4 in). The ears are short. The feet have five toes and long claws. Sexes differ in size, with males having a wider head and bigger bodies.

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It can be distinguished from the often sympatric Indian grey mongoose (U. edwardsii ) by its somewhat smaller size. Populations on islands throughout the world have increased in size and sexual dimorphism, resembling populations in the east of their range, where they have no ecological competitors.Introduced populations show genetic diversification due to genetic drift and population isolation.

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Distribution

Geography

The small Indian mongoose is distributed in Iraq, southeastern Iran, Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. It has been introduced to several European countries as well as islands in the Caribbean Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It lives up to an elevation of 2,100 m (6,900 ft).

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In Iraq, the small Indian mongoose lives in the alluvial plains of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, where it inhabits riverine thickets, crop fields and orchards. It was also observed in the Hammar Marshes.

In Iran, it was recorded only in a few localities in the south and east, in particular in Kerman Province.

In Pakistan, it occurs on the Pothohar Plateau, in Sialkot District, in southeastern Azad Jammu and Kashmir and in Margalla Hills National Park.In India, it was observed in forested areas of Panna Tiger Reserve, Guna district and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

In 2016, the European Commission put the mongoose on the list of invasive alien species in the EU.

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Habits and Lifestyle

The small Indian mongoose uses about 12 different vocalizations.

Diet and Nutrition

In Pakistan, the small Indian mongoose feeds primarily on insects including dragonflies, grasshoppers, mole crickets, ground beetles, earwigs and ants. It also preys on lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis ), short-tailed bandicoot rat (Nesokia indica ), Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus ), Indian gerbil (Tatera indica ) and house mouse (Mus musculus ). Scat collected in Pir Lasura National Park contained remains of black rat (Rattus rattus ), small amphibians, reptiles, small birds, seeds of grasses and fruits.Faecal pellets found near burrows in Gujarat contained fish scales, feathers and remains of insects in December and plant matter also in spring.

Population

Coloring Pages

References

1. Bengal mongoose Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_mongoose

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