The Gambian mongoose (''Mungos gambianus'') is a

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

native to the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic from

Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. It is listed as

Least Concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. ...

on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biolo ...

since 2008.

Taxonomy

''Herpestes gambianus'' was the

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bo ...

proposed by

William Ogilby William Ogilby (1805–1873) was an Irish-born zoologist who was at the forefront of classification and naming of animal species in the 1830s and served as Secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1847. He removed to Ireland ...

in 1835 for a mongoose

specimen Specimen may refer to: Science and technology * Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount * Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository f ...

from Gambia.

Characteristics

The Gambian mongoose has a grizzled grey and brown fur, which is mixed with red on the back, hips and thighs. Its throat and the sides of the neck are pale silvery brown, and the neck is marked with a dark brown stripe running from the ear to the shoulder. The breast, belly and inner sides of the legs are red. Its feet are black, and its tail is mixed with black and has a black tuft at the end. It has five toes on each foot, which is bare from the sole to the wrist and heel. Their faces are short, and have only two molars on each jaw. Females have six mammae.

Distribution and habitat

The Gambian mongoose is endemic to

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali ...

where it can be found in the mesic savannas and woodlands from

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

and

in the west east to

Behaviour and ecology

The Gambian mongoose is diurnal, gregarious and terrestrial. They live in groups of 10-20 individuals, but groups have been known to number over 40. The groups consist of adults of both sexes, who forage together. Encounters between animals of different groups are often noisy, with a lot of fighting between the neighbors. This mongoose is very vocal, communicating with a variety of sounds. A call that sounds like a bird twitter is used to keep the group together while foraging. A louder, higher pitched twitter is used to indicate danger. The Gambian mongoose is an opportunistic feeder, eating a wide variety of foods. They are primarily

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

, eating mostly beetles and millipedes. They will also eat small rodents and reptiles, and sometimes eggs.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs at any time of the year, with more young born during the rainy season. All the females in the group reproduce at around the same time. Groups can breed up to four times a year, but individually the females do not breed as frequently. Mating occurs 1–2 weeks after the young are born. Mongooses often breed with others of another group, but most stay within the group. While the mother forages for food, two males stand guard at the den's entrance. This mongoose practices communal suckling; cubs suckle from any lactating female. The young are weaned at the age of about one month, and at this time they join the group in foraging.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1464840

Gambian mongoose The Gambian mongoose (''Mungos gambianus'') is a mongoose species native to the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic from Gambia to Nigeria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Taxonomy ''Herpestes gambianus'' was the scien ...

Mammals of West Africa