Long-nosed kusimanse, Common cusimanse, Long-nosed cusimanse, Cusimanse, Kusimanse
The common kusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus ), also known as the long-nosed kusimanse or simply kusimanse, is a small, diurnal member of the Mungotinae.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Nomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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SocialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
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starts withThe Common kusimanse is a small dwarf mongoose. These animals have a vaguely weasel-shaped body with dark or reddish brown fur. Their fur is thick, with a wiry texture down the back, and fine and soft on the underside. Common kusimanses have a long snout, short legs, a short, relatively stiff tail which tapers to a point, long claws, small ears, small, dark-colored eyes, and an elongated nose.
Common kusimanses are found in the West African countries of Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire. They live in forested areas near water, in farm bush, logged forest and plantations. In Côte d’Ivoire, they can also be found in humid savanna zone, and in gallery forests of the savanna.
Common kusimanses are highly social animals which live in a small family group of 10-20 or more individuals, with a strict hierarchical structure. The members of the family group communicate through various vocalizations including whistles, chirps, and growls. They usually use whistles in order to maintain contact in the dense rainforest understory while traveling. Common kusimanses are excellent climbers but tend to be more active on the ground. They are very territorial and will mark the group's territory with anal scent glands, and defend it vehemently against intruders. Thes animals have different threat displays which include various growls and snorts, as well as physical movements such as lunging, back arching, and hair erection. Groups of Common kusimanses are nomadic and do not spend much time in the same area of their territory. As they move from place to place, they find shelter in tree hollows, other animal's burrows, or termite mounds. As these mongooses do not live in permanent den sites, their young are can't keep up with the group for several weeks and must be carried to different foraging spots. So members of the group take turns carrying pups and also help to feed them.
These omnivorous animals are excellent diggers, which feed on a wide variety of things. Their diet primarily consists of insects, larvae, freshwater crabs, small reptiles, and small rodents. They will also consume various types of fruits and berries in small quantity.
Little is know about the mating system in Common kusimanses. Due to their hierarchical social structure, only the primary members of a family group are permitted to breed. Females can have three litters per year and each litter averages 2-4 pups. The gestation period lasts approximately 8 weeks. Babies are born about 13 mm (0.5 in) long with their eyes closed, and a thick undercoat of fur. After about 12 days, they begin to open their eyes and explore their environment. At around 3 weeks the mother weans them, their guard hairs begin to grow in, and they actively forage on their own. They do not grow to adult size until around 6-9 months of age. Reproductive maturity is reached between 9 months of age to a 1 year old.
There are no major threats to these animals at present. However, in some regions, Common kusimanses may suffer from hunting.
According to IUCN, Common kusimanses are widespread throughout their range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...