Ruddy mongoose

Ruddy mongoose
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Herpestidae
Genus: Urva
Species:
U. smithii
Binomial name
Urva smithii
(Gray, 1837)
Ruddy mongoose range
Synonyms

Herpestes smithii

The ruddy mongoose (Urva smithii) is a species of mongoose native to the forests of India and Sri Lanka. It is classified as least concern in the IUCN Red List.

Taxonomy

In 1837, British zoologist John Edward Gray proposed the scientific name Herpestes smithii for a zoological specimen in the collection of the British Natural History Museum.[2] Different species names were proposed by various biologists over the years to identify the Ruddy mongooses. In 2009, the Asian mongooses were classified under a new genus Urva.[3][4] Three different sub-species have been recognized–smithii, thysanurus, and zeylanius.[5]

Distribution and habitat

The ruddy mongoose is found in forests and shrub lands in India and Sri Lanka.[3][6][7] It is mainly a forest dweller and prefers more secluded areas. It has also been recorded to forage in secluded paddy fields in the region.[8] It is classified as least concern in the IUCN Red List.[7]

Description

The Ruddy mongoose is a large mongoose with a greyish-brown fur.[9] It has an average head to body length of 40–45 cm (16–18 in) and a 36 cm (14 in) long tail.[10] The long tail features a darker tasseled tip,[9] which is usually curved upward, and is visible from a distance.[8]

Ecology and behavior

The Ruddy Mongoose's hunts during both day and night, and feeds on birds, rat snakes, land monitors, rodents and snails.[8] It is generally considered as a solitary animal, though it has been recorded in monogamous pairs during the mating season. Family groups of up to five animals consisting of a mother and pups have been observed in the wild.[10] While they are generally found in thick jungles, and edges of the forests, they occasionally venture into paddy fields and tea estates. They quickly withdraw into a crevice or underneath a rock shelf on confrontation with humans. When they are cornered, they often show aggressive behaviour while making loud and shrill noises.[10]

References

  1. ^ Mudappa, D. & Choudhury, A. (2016). "Herpestes smithii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41617A45208195.
  2. ^ Gray, J. E. (1837). "Description of some or little known Mammalia, principally in the British Museum Collection". The Magazine of Natural History and Journal of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology and Meteorology. I (November): 577–587.
  3. ^ a b "Urva smithii". Mammal Diversity. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Herpestes smithii". Animal Diversity. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Indian marsh mongoose Herpestes palustris Ghose". Archived from the original on 8 September 2003.
  6. ^ Nowak, Ronald M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 771. ISBN 978-0-801-85789-8.
  7. ^ a b "Urva smithii". IUCN. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  8. ^ a b c Prater, S.H. (1971). The Book of Indian Animals (Third ed.). Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society. ISBN 978-0-195-62169-3.
  9. ^ a b Luke Hunter (2020). Field Guide to Carnivores of the World, 2nd Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-472-98267-4.
  10. ^ a b c Yapa, A.; Ratnavira, G. (2013). Mammals of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka. p. 1012. ISBN 978-955-8576-32-8.
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