The Liberian mongoose (Liberiictis kuhni) is a mongoose species native to Africa. It was discovered in Liberia in 1958. Phylogenetic analysis shows it is closely related to other small, social mongooses and that the Banded mongoose is its closest relative.
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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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CarnivoreA 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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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
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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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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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BurrowingA 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 ...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Liberian mongoose has a primarily dark brown body, with a darker stripe on the neck and shoulders. This stripe is bordered by smaller stripes that are white. Compared with other mongoose species, the Liberian mongoose has rather long claws and an elongated snout with small teeth relative to the size of the skull. It has a bushy tapering tail, that is less than half of the length of the head and body. This is likely an adaptation of their specialized diet of earthworms.
The exact distribution of Liberian mongooses is unknown but may extend from Sierra Leone to Côte d'Ivoire. Confirmed sightings of these animals are restricted to forests in Liberia and the Tai National Park in Côte d'Ivoire. They inhabit tropical moist forests and swamp forests with deep sandy soils where they can easily dig for earthworms.
Little information is available about the habits of Liberian mongooses. According to what local people tell, Liberian mongooses are active during the day. They typically forage on the forest floor in packs of 3-8 individuals; however, larger groups have also been observed. The few observers that have witnessed Liberian mongooses in the wild have reported that these animals live primarily in the trunks of trees. Indeed, some of the better-known mongoose species live in trees during the rainy season and occupy burrows only during hotter weather.
Liberian mongooses are carnivorous (insectivorous, vermivorous). Their diet primarily consists of various insects and earthworms.
Information about the reproductive behavior of this species is scarce. The collection of juveniles at the end of July and a lactating female at the beginning of August suggests that the breeding season of Liberian mongooses coincides with the rainy season when there is an increase in food availability.
Due to their limited range and the fact that they are heavily hunted, Liberian mongooses are considered endangered. Human destruction of their habitat and human hunting are the primary threats to Liberian mongooses.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Liberian mongoose is around 5,200 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
Recent work has shown that Liberian mongooses may act as an ecosystem engineers by maintaining the heterogeneity of the forest floor. As they forage, they disturb the leaf litter and soil, with an estimate that they may be able to overturn the entire forest floor in a period of 8 months. This altering of the litter environment indirectly affects seed predation and germination.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...