Short-tailed mongoose

The short-tailed mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus) is a mongoose species native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. It inhabits evergreen forest and rural gardens from sea level to an elevation of 1,500 m (4,900 ft). It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2008.[1]

Short-tailed mongoose
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Herpestidae
Genus: Herpestes
Species:
H. brachyurus
Binomial name
Herpestes brachyurus
Gray, 1837
Short-tailed mongoose range

It was first described by John Edward Gray in 1837.[2]

It is red-brown to black and has black limbs. The head is grayish with a black spot on the chin. Its total body length is 60–65 cm (24–26 in) including a 25 cm (9.8 in) short tail. It weighs about 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).

Subspecies

  • H. b. brachyurus
  • H. b. hosei (by some considered a species, Hose's mongoose Herpestes hosei)[3]
  • H. b. javanensis
  • H. b. palawanus
  • H. b. parvus
  • H. b. sumatrius

References

  1. Duckworth, J. W.; Mathai, J.; Ross, J. & Wilting, A. (2016). "Herpestes brachyurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41610A45206655.
  2. Gray, J. E. (1837). "Description of some or little known Mammalia, principally in the British Mueum Collection". The Magazine of Natural History and Journal of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology and Meteorology. I (November): 577–587.
  3. Francis, C.M. & Payne, J. (1985). A field guide to the mammals of Borneo. Malaysia: Sabah Society
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