Wildlife Fact File - Mammals - Pgs. 81-90

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INDIAN GRAY MONGOOSE

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GROUP 1: MAMMALS

" , ORDER "'lIlIIII Carnivora

" , FAMILY ""'lIlIIII Viverridae

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. . . GENUS & SPECIES "'lIlIIII Herpestes edwardsi

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KEY FACTS

SIZES Length of body: 17 in . Tail length: 15 in. Weight: 3 lb . BREEDING Sexual maturity: 2 years. Mating: Takes place at any time of the year. Gestation: 60 days. No. of young: 2-4. LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary diurnal (daytime) hunter. Diet: Mostly small mammals like birds and lizards; also snakes and their eggs and some insects . Lifespan: Up to 10 years . RELATED SPECIES The family of viverridae includes genets, civets, and linsangs. The dwarf mongoose of Ethiopia is only 1 7 in . long from head to tip of tail. The African civet is the largest, with a body 33 in . long .

Range of the Indian gray mongoose.

DISTRIBUTION Found in India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, the Middle East, and Nepal. Other species are found in the Far East, Africa, southern Spain, and Portugal. CONSERVATION Of the 31 species of mongoose, the spotted linsang is the only species in danger of extinction. Four of the Madagascan species are now threatened by destruction of their habitat.

INDIAN GRAY MONGOOSE FIGHTING A COBRA Fur: The mongoose's dense fur protects it from the cobra's venomous fangs (right).

Stamina: The mongoose overcomes the cobra with its great endurance (above) . Bite: The mongoose kills the snake by biting the back of its head. It then eats the cobra, starting at the head (right) .

The Indian gray mongoose is one of the few animals that can survive a cobra attack, which makes it one of the deadly snake's few predators. Still, the mongoose generally ____ L ____

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The Indian gray mongoose has speckled gray fur and a long, bushy tail that it carries behind it in a straight line when walking on all four paws. When the mongoose confronts an enemy such as the cobra, it sits on its haunches and stretches its body to its full height

to look more menacing.

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HABITS

Although the Indian gray mongoose spends most of its time on the ground, it can climb walls and trees as well as a monkey. The mongoose can also run backward in a straight line for short distances. By roIling into a ball and jumping up on its hind legs, it can leap high into the air. The mongoose is active during the day, when it hunts. At night it sleeps on the ground in a termite nest or in a den that it digs itself. It is found in open country and in the lightly wooded areas of its range.

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unlike most mammals, which have only partial color vision. • A mongoose cracks eggs open by standing with its back to a wall and throwing the eggs under its body and between its back legs so that the eggs break against the wall. • Indian gray mongooses are often kept as pets to keep houses free from rats and other pests. • The mongoose closes its outer ear when hunting in soil to keep out dirt and water.

Above: The mongoose is a fast and agile hunter. It is always watchful for prey.

~ FOOD &: HUNTING The mongoose is a skillful hunter that actively searches for prey by using its strong senses of smell and sight. It eats C!nything it can catch . The Indian gray mongoose commonly eats small mammals such as rats, as well as eggs and a variety of insects, including the scorpion. The mongoose sniffs the ground and turns over rocks and stones in its search for prey. If the animal tries to flee, the mongoose chases it. It kills its prey while they are both running by delivering a bite to the neck or head. Although the mongoose eats snakes, including the poisonous cobra (see back cover), the main part of its diet consists of small animals that live on or under the ground .

Right: A snake falls prey to a mongoose.

BREEDING

Although the gray mongoose is widespread, little is known of its breeding habits in the wild . Males and females are solitary except during the mating season. After mating, each pair separates, and the male often mates with other females. Two months after mating, two to four young are born in a well-hidden nest on the ground. If predators or intruders threaten, the mother mongoose carries her young in her mouth to safety. The newborn mongooses are lightly covered with hair, but they are blind for the first few days. They are suckled for several weeks. The young

develop quickly and soon accompany their mother on hunting trips, where she teaches them how to hunt for themselves. Once they

Above: A female teaches hunting skills to her young.

become skillful hunters, they leave to establish their own territories.

KEY FACTS

HONEY POSSUM _ _,;:, G..RO ;;..;,,;:;.. UP 1: MAMMALS ~ ORDER Morsupiolio

FAMILY Torsipedidoe

. , . GENUS & SPECIES ~ Torsipes rostrotus

SIZES Length: Mal es, 21/2-3 1/2 in .; tail, 2 3/4 -4 in . Femal es slightly larger . Weight: Males, about 1/4 oz. Females slightly more. BREEDING Sexual maturity: 6 months . Mating: Year-round. Gestation: About 1 month . No. of young: Usually 2 or 3, occasionally 4 . LIFESTYLE Habit: Nocturnal . Sociable, with overlapping ranges. Females can be aggressive toward strangers, especially males. Call: High-pitched squeaks. Diet: Nectar and pollen . Lifespan: 1-2 years in the wild .

Range of the honey possum.

DISTRIBUTION The honey possum is found in patches of uncultivated land and low open woodla nds in southwestern Austra lia.

RELATED SPECIES The honey possum is the only member of the family Torsipedidoe and has no close relatives.

CONSERVATION The honey possum is not cu rrently a t hreatened speci es . But its specialized habita t needs may put it at ri sk from land clearance and the resul ting burn ing of cleared lan d.

FEATURES OF THE HONEY POSSUM Tail: Longer than body and

prehensile (able to grasp) , it supports the honey possum's body as it climbs branches.

The honey possum is a tiny marsupial that feeds at night on a diet of nectar and pollen. It is 'about the size of a mouse and has a long, pointed snout and brush-tipped tongue.

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Body: Tiny and lightweight, so the honey possum can climb out onto

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DID YOU KNOW?

The honey possum inhabits fields and

• The honey possum's name is misleading : it is only distantly related to the possum and does not eat honey. • In its native Australia, the honey possum is called the "noolbenger." • Honey possums huddle in groups to keep warm and conserve their energy during cold weather. • In captivity, the honey possum eats small, softbodied insects as well as nectar and pollen. • A female honey possum weighs about one-third more than the male.

small shrubs, running along the ground and climbing with speed and dexterity. Grayish brown in color with three long stripes running down its back, the animal uses its grasping hands, feet, and long tail to help it climb and feed.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The honey possum feeds on nectar and pollen, using its pointed snout and long, brush-tipped tongue to probe deep inside flowers . It prefers flowers of the genus Banksia that produce large heads of nectar-rich flowers and bloom throughout the year. The honey possum's diet requires it to feed on a broad range of plants that flower at different times of the year. Above left: At

The honey possum sleeps during the day, either hidden by low-growing vegetation or tucked into a hollow branch. It comes out to feed at dusk. Its body is well adapted for climbing and it can run quickly on the ground . Most honey possums live in a small home range, traveling across the area during the year to feed on different spe-

cies of plants as they bloom . The home ranges overlap, except those belonging to breeding females. Females keep other honey possums out while having their young. During cold weather when food is scarce, the honey possum enters a temporary state of hibernation (inactivity) in which its body temperature and metabolic rate drop.

dusk the honey possum comes out of hiding to feed.

Above: The honey possum hangs by its tail to reach a flower.

Right: The young feed from a teat in the pouch.

The honey possum uses its well-adapted hands and feet when climbing a shrub or tree. It is aided by its long, prehensile (capable of grasping) tail. Because the honey possum is so small and lightweight, it can climb out onto very slender branches in order to feed. Hanging by its tail, the honey possum's forelimbs are left free to hold the flowers steady.

. Breeding takes place throughout the year. Few litters are born in December, though, because few plants are in flower, so food is scarce. Peak months for births are January and February. Slightly lower peaks occur at three-month intervals, which is the time needed to raise a litter. The births are carefully timed to match the availability of flowers and food.

litters of four young are unusual. The young remain in the pouch for about eight weeks until they weigh about one-tenth of an ounce. Their eyes are open and they have a full coat of fur. At this stage, the female leaves the young in a nestoften an abandoned bird's nest-while she feeds . For about 11 weeks she returns regularly and suckles them .

Like the kangaroo, the female honey possum can keep her fertilized eggs in a dormant state so that a second litter can be born as soon as the first is out of the pouch and weaned. This method ensures that the young possums reach maturity when there is plenty of food. The female gives birth to two or three tiny young and suckles them in her pouch. The pouch has four teats, but

After a few days, the young begin to follow her on feeding trips. They reach maturity at about six months. Below: The mother rears her young in an empty bird's nest after they leave the pouch.

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PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS ~~------------------------------------------~~-~~ ..~ GENUS & SPECIES FAMILY ORDER ~ Artiodactyla Choeropsis liberiensis Hippopotamidae

KEY FACTS SIZES Height: 2 1/ 2 -3 ft. Length: Head and body, 5-6 ft. Tail, 6 in. Weight: 350-600 lb. BREEDING Sexual maturity: 4 -5 years in captivity. Breeding season: Not known in the wild. Captive young have been born throughout the year. Gestation: 190-210 days. No. of young: Usually 1. LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary. May form small family groups. Diet: Plant material such as leaves, shoots, roots, and fruit. RELATED SPECIES The pygmy hippo's only close relative is the great African hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius.

Range of the pygmy hippopotamus.

DISTRIBUTION Scattered throughout the lowland rainforests of West Africa, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast. CONSERVATION The pygmy hippo is in danger of extinction as a result of habitat loss. It is protected in some national parks, and many are kept in zoos.

FEATURES OF THE PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS Length : The Great African hippo grows to a maximum length of 11 1/2 feet, but the pygmy hippo reaches only 53/4 feet.

Height: The average man is 5 feet 10 inches tall. The pygmy hippo can reach a height of 3 feet at the shoulders and the great African hippo may grow to 5 feet.

The pygmy hippopotamus lives a solitary life in the rainforests of West Africa. Because of hunting and increasing loss of habitat, it is now endangered throughout most of its range.