Marsh mongoose

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Marsh mongoose
Marsh mongoose or water mongoose, Atilax paludinosus, at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa (22548192738).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Herpestidae
Subfamily: Herpestinae
Genus: Atilax
Species:
A. paludinosus
Binomial name
Atilax paludinosus
G. Cuvier, 1829
Atilax paludinosus range map.png

The marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus), also called water mongoose [1] [2] 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. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

The generic name Atilax was introduced in 1826 by Frédéric Cuvier. [3] In 1829, Georges Cuvier referred to a mongoose in the marshes of the Cape Province using the scientific name Herpestes paludinosus. [4] It is the only extant member of the genus Atilax, [5] although an extinct ancestral species from the Early Pleistocene known as Atilax mesotes was also a member of the genus. [6]

Characteristics

The marsh mongoose's fur is dark reddish brown to black with white and fawn coloured guard hairs. The hair behind the neck and in front of the back is short, but longer on the hind legs and on the tail. Its muzzle is short with a fawn coloured mouth, short whiskers and a naked rhinarium. It has 3.1.3.23.1.3.2 × 2 = 36 teeth. Its short ears are round. It has two nipples. Its feet have five flexible digits each with curved claws, but without any webbing. The soles of its feet are naked. [7]

Females measure 48.72 cm (19.18 in) in head-to-body length, and males 51.38 cm (20.23 in), with a 32.18–34.11 cm (12.67–13.43 in) long tail. In weight, adults range from 2.56 to 2.95 kg (5.6 to 6.5 lb). Both sexes have anal glands in a pouch that produce a musky smelling secretion. [8]

Female marsh mongooses have 36 chromosomes, and males 35, as one Y chromosome is translocated to an autosome. [9]

Distribution and habitat

The marsh mongoose occurs across much of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and The Gambia to Ethiopia, and throughout much of Central, Eastern and parts of Southern Africa. [1] It inhabits freshwater wetlands, marshes and swamps along slow-moving rivers and streams, in forested, jungle and savanna regions. It is occurs in river deltas, estuarine and brackish-water habitats in coastal areas. [7] It was likely introduced by humans to Pemba Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago. [10]

In Guinea's National Park of Upper Niger, it was recorded during surveys conducted in 1996 to 1997. [11] In Gabon's Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, it was recorded only in forested habitats during a two-months survey in 2012. [12]

In the Ethiopian Highlands, it was recorded at an elevation of 3,950 m (12,960 ft) in Bale Mountains National Park. [13]

Behaviour and ecology

The marsh mongoose is primarily a solitary species. [2] It is an excellent swimmer and can dive for up to 15 seconds, using its feet to paddle. On land, it usually trots slowly, but can also move fast. [14] Radio-collared marsh mongooses in KwaZulu-Natal were active from shortly after sunset until after midnight showing a crepuscular activity pattern. [15] A radio-collared male marsh mongoose in Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve was most active during early mornings and late evenings, but rested by day in burrows situated in dry areas above water and mud in a dense cover of high grasses and climbing plants. [16]

Feeding behaviour and diet

Feeding behaviour of eight captive marsh mongooses was studied in 1984. When the mongooses sighted prey in the water, they swam or walked towards it, used their digits to seek it out, but kept their heads above water. Once located, they grabbed it with the mouth and killed it outside the water. They killed rodents and frogs by biting them in the head, and occasionally also shook them. When finished eating, they wiped their mouths with the forefeet. They broke eggs by throwing them backwards between the legs. [2] Scat of marsh mongooses collected around Lake St Lucia contained foremost remains of crustaceans, amphibians, insects and fish. Marsh mongooses were observed while carrying mudcrabs (Scylla serrata) ashore. They removed the chelipeds and opened the sternum to feed on the body contents. [17] They deposit scat at specific latrine sites located on low shrubs, on rocks or sand well away from the water edge. Scat of marsh mongoose collected in a rocky coastal habitat contained remains of sandhoppers, shore crab (Cyclograpsus punctatus), pink-lipped topshell ( Oxystele sinensis ) and Tropidophora snails. [18] Research in southeastern Nigeria revealed that the marsh mongoose has an omnivorous diet. It feeds on rodents like giant pouched rats (Cricetomys), Temminck's mouse (Mus musculoides), Tullberg's soft-furred mouse (Praomys tulbergi), grass frogs (Ptychadena), crowned bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus occipitalis), herald snake ( Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia ), mudskippers (Periophthalmus), insects such as spiders and Coleoptera, snails and slugs, Bivalvia, Decapoda as well as fruits, berries and seeds. [19]

Reproduction

After a gestation of 69 to 80 days, females give birth to a litter of two to three young, which are fully furred. Their eyes open between the 9th and 14th day, pupils are bluish at first and change to brown at the age of three weeks. Their ear canal opens between the 17th and 28th day. Females start weaning their offspring earliest on the 30th day, and young are fully weaned by the age of two months. [20]

Threats

In 2006, it was estimated that about 950 marsh mongooses are hunted annually in the Cameroon part of the Cross–Sanaga–Bioko coastal forests. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongoose</span> Family of mammals in Africa and Asia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow mongoose</span> Species of mongoose in Africa

The yellow mongoose, sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family. It averages about 0.45 kg (1 lb) in weight and about 510 mm (20 in) in length. It lives in open country, semi-desert scrubland and grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It is the only species in the genus Cynictis.

<i>Atilax</i> Genus of mammal

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stripe-necked mongoose</span> Species of mongoose from South Asia

The stripe-necked mongoose is a mongoose species native to forests and shrublands from southern India to Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genet (animal)</span> Genus of carnivorans

A genet is a member of the genus Genetta, which consists of 17 species of small African carnivorans. The common genet is the only genet present in Europe and occurs in the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crab-eating mongoose</span> Species of mongoose from Asia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian mongoose</span> Species of mongoose from Africa and the Mediterranean

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

The golden palm civet is a viverrid endemic to Sri Lanka. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Its distribution is severely fragmented, and the extent and quality of its habitat in Sri Lanka's hill regions are declining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-nosed mongoose</span> Species of mongoose from Central Africa

The long-nosed mongoose is a mongoose native to Central African wetlands and rainforests. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 1996. Although formerly classified in Herpestes, more recent studies indicate that it belongs in the monotypic taxon Xenogale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-tailed mongoose</span> Species of mongoose from Africa

The white-tailed mongoose is a species in the mongoose family Herpestidae. It is the only member of the genus Ichneumia.

<i>Herpestes</i> Genus within the mongoose family

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.

<i>Potamonautes sidneyi</i> Species of crab

Potamonautes sidneyi is a species of freshwater crab in the family Potamonautidae. The common name is the Natal river crab or Sidney's river crab, although they may also be referred to as "river crabs", "fresh water crabs" or "land crabs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Indian mongoose</span> Mongoose species in South Asia

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.

<i>Urva</i> (genus) Genus of mongooses

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Do Linh San, E.; Angelici, F.M.; Maddock, A.H.; Baker, C.M.; Ray, J. (2015). "Atilax paludinosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T41590A45204865. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41590A45204865.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Baker, C. M. (1989). "Feeding habits of the water mongoose (Atilax paludinosus)" (PDF). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde. 54 (1): 31–39.
  3. ↑ Cuvier, F. G. (1826). "Vansire". In E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire; F. G. Cuvier (eds.). Histoire Naturelle des Mammifères : avec des figures originales, coloriées, dessinées d'aprèsdes animaux vivans. Tome 5. Paris: A. Belin. p. LIV.
  4. ↑ Cuvier, G. (1829). "Les Mangoustes. Cuv. (Herpestes, Illiger)". Le règne animal distribué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée. Paris: Chez Déterville. pp. 157–158.
  5. ↑ Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Atilax paludinosus". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 562. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  6. ↑ Brain, C.K. (1983). The Hunters Or the Hunted? An Introduction to African Cave Taphonomy. University of Chicago Press. p. 166.
  7. 1 2 Baker, C. M.; Ray, J. C. (2013). "Genus Atilax paludinosus Marsh Mongoose". In J. Kingdon; M. Hoffmann (eds.). The Mammals of Africa. Vol. V. Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses. London: Bloomsbury. pp. 298−302. ISBN   9781408189962.
  8. ↑ Baker, C. M. (1992). "Atilax paludinosus" (PDF). Mammalian Species (408): 1–6. doi:10.2307/3504291. JSTOR   3504291. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  9. ↑ Fredga, K. (1977). "Chromosomal changes in vertebrate evolution". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences. 199 (1136): 377–397. Bibcode:1977RSPSB.199..377F. doi:10.1098/rspb.1977.0148. JSTOR   77302. PMID   22865. S2CID   32364326.
  10. ↑ Walsh, M. T. (2007). "Island subsistence: hunting, trapping and the translocation of wildlife in the Western Indian Ocean". Azania: Journal of the British Institute in Eastern Africa. 42 (1): 83−113. doi:10.1080/00672700709480452. S2CID   162594865.
  11. ↑ Ziegler, S.; Nikolaus, G.; Hutterer, R. (2002). "High mammalian diversity in the newly established National Park of Upper Niger, Republic of Guinea". Oryx. 36 (1): 73–80. doi: 10.1017/s003060530200011x .
  12. ↑ Nakashima, Y. (2015). "Inventorying medium-and large-sized mammals in the African lowland rainforest using camera trapping". Tropics. 23 (4): 151–164. doi: 10.3759/tropics.23.151 .
  13. ↑ Yalden, D. W.; Largen, M. J.; Kock, D.; Hillman, J. C. (1996). "Catalogue of the Mammals of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Revised checklist, zoogeography and conservation". Tropical Zoology. 9 (1): 73−164. Bibcode:1996TrZoo...9...73Y. doi:10.1080/03946975.1996.10539304.
  14. ↑ Taylor, M. E. (1970). "Locomotion in some African viverrids". Journal of Mammalogy. 51 (1): 42–51. doi:10.2307/1378530. JSTOR   1378530.
  15. ↑ Maddock, A. H.; Perrin, M. R. (1993). "Spatial and temporal ecology of an assemblage of viverrids in Natal, South Africa". Journal of Zoology. 229 (2): 277–287. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1993.tb02636.x.
  16. ↑ Ray, J. (1997). "Comparative ecology of two African forest mongooses, Herpestes naso and Atilax paludinosus". African Journal of Ecology. 35 (3): 237–253. Bibcode:1997AfJEc..35..237R. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.1997.086-89086.x.
  17. ↑ Whitfield, A. K.; Blaber, S. J. M. (1980). "The diet of Atilax paludinosus (water mongoose) at St Lucia, South Africa". Mammalia. 44 (3): 315–318. doi:10.1515/mamm.1980.44.3.315. S2CID   84540490.
  18. ↑ Louw, C. J.; Nel, J. A. J. (1986). "Diets of coastal and inland-dwelling water mongoose" (PDF). South African Journal of Wildlife Research. 16 (4): 153–156.
  19. ↑ Angelici, F. M. (2000). "Food habits and resource partitioning of carnivores (Herpestidae, Viverridae) in the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria: preliminary results" (PDF). Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et la Vie). 55: 67–76. doi:10.3406/revec.2000.2314. S2CID   55589137. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  20. ↑ Baker, C. M.; Meester, J. (1986). "Postnatal physical development of the Water mongoose (Atilax paludinosus)" (PDF). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde. 51 (4): 236–243.
  21. ↑ Fa, J. E.; Seymour, S.; Dupain, J. E. F.; Amin, R.; Albrechtsen, L.; Macdonald, D. (2006). "Getting to grips with the magnitude of exploitation: bushmeat in the Cross–Sanaga rivers region, Nigeria and Cameroon". Biological Conservation. 129 (4): 497–510. Bibcode:2006BCons.129..497F. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.11.031.
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