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 southern Europe, Africa and Asia, whereas the Mungotinae comprises 11 species native to Africa. The Herpestidae originated about 21.8 ± 3.6 million years ago in the Early Miocene and genetically diverged into two main genetic lineages between 19.1 and 18.5 ± 3.5 million years ago.
The marsh mongoose, also called water mongoose is a medium-sized mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa that inhabits freshwater wetlands. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008.
Atilax is a genus of mongoose containing a single living species, the marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus). A single fossil species probably ancestral to the marsh mongoose is also known from South Africa.
Nicolas Auguste Pomel was a French geologist, paleontologist and botanist. He worked as a mines engineer in Algeria and became a specialist in north African vertebrate fossils. He was Senator of Algeria for Oran from 1876 to 1882.
The stripe-necked mongoose is a mongoose species native to forests and shrublands from southern India to Sri Lanka.
The crab-eating mongoose is a mongoose species ranging from the northeastern Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia to southern China and Taiwan. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
The Egyptian mongoose, also known as ichneumon, is a mongoose species native to the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands of Africa and around the Mediterranean Basin in North Africa, the Middle East and the Iberian Peninsula. Whether it is introduced or native to the Iberian Peninsula is in some doubt. Because of its widespread occurrence, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
The Angolan slender mongoose is a mongoose native to southwestern Africa, specifically southwestern Angola and northwestern Namibia. It has been listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List, as it is not threatened and thought to be common. It has a long, slim body and there are different colour forms, a black or dark brown form in the southern part of its range, and a yellowish- or reddish-brown form in the north. This mongoose inhabits dry, rocky habitats and feeds on insects, scorpions and small vertebrates.
The common slender mongoose, also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa.
The Indian grey mongoose or Asian grey mongoose is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
The Indian brown mongoose or brown mongoose is a mongoose species native to the Western Ghats in India and the western coast in Sri Lanka and introduced to Fiji. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
The Javan mongoose is a mongoose species native to Southeast Asia.
The ruddy mongoose is a mongoose species native to hill forests in India and Sri Lanka.
The white-tailed mongoose is a species in the mongoose family Herpestidae. It is the only member of the genus Ichneumia.
The collared mongoose is a mongoose species native to Borneo and Sumatra; its presence in the Philippines is uncertain. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Herpestes is a genus within the mongoose family Herpestidae. Several species in the family are known as slender mongooses. It is the type genus of the family, and comprises 5-6 living species, each with several subspecies. Fossil remains of three prehistoric species were excavated in France, and described in 1853.
The small Indian mongoose is a mongoose species native to Iraq and northern South Asia; it has also been introduced to several Caribbean and Pacific islands.
Urva is a genus comprising the Asian mongooses within the mongoose family Herpestidae. Species in the genus were formerly classified in the genus Herpestes, which is now thought to comprise exclusively African mongooses; phylogenetic evidence indicates that the Asian mongooses form a monophyletic group and had an Asian common ancestor. Urva forms a clade with Xenogale and Atilax, while Herpestes forms a clade with all other African mongoose species.
Atilax mesotes is an extinct species of mongoose that lived in Africa during the Early Pleistocene around 1.98 million years ago.
