Ring tailed Mongoose

The Ring-tailed Mongoose lives on the island of Madagascar, specifically, they are found in the eastern, extreme northern, and western-central regions of the country. The primary habitat is tropical to subtropical humid forests of Madagascar

Physical Appearance

The Ring-tailed Mongoose is one of the smallest mongooses, it has a deep ruddy color and a light brown head, the legs and underbelly are black. They have a bushy ringed tail with alternating black and red stripes. Their short rounded ears are tipped with white patches. Compared to other mongooses the Ring-tailed has shorter fingers, toes, and claws. The Ring-tailed Mongoose has a long slender body with thin short legs, a rounded head with a short pointed muzzle, and a fox-like tail that is equal to the length of the body. Only the Males of the species possess anal glands. The head and body are usually 12.5-15 in (32-38 cm) long, the tail's length is typically 10.6-12.5 in (27-32 cm), and their weight ranges from 1.5-2 lb (700-900 g).

Diet

The Malagasy ring-tailed mongoose's diet ranges from small mammals, birds and their eggs, frogs, fruits, fish, reptiles, and invertebrates. They will also prey on two species of lemurs, the brown mouse lemur, and the greater dwarf lemur.

Behavior and Reproduction

The Ring-tailed Mongoose is gregarious and diurnal. They live in social groups numbering up to five individuals centered around a dominant pair. They are primarily terrestrial, but are also very agile climbers. The Ring-tailed Mongoose will spend the night in burrows found in hollow trees or dig their own. Their mating season is from April to November, and their young are typically born from July to February. The female gives birth to a single young, which weighs about 50 g. Their gestation period is between 79-92 days. Both males and females become sexually mature around 2 years of age. The typical lifespan in captivity is about 13 years

Status in wild

The Ring-tailed Mongoose is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, this listing is based on a population reduction that is greater or equal to a 20% rate over the last 10 years, as well as a considerable loss of habitat. Other than habitat loss the Ring-tailed Mongoose is also facing a problem of over competition from feral dogs and cats and from the Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica).

Online References