Galidiinae
Ring-tailed mongoose ( Galidia elegans)
The Madagascan mongoose ( Galidiinae ) are endemic to Madagascar subfamily of the Malagasy carnivores ( Eupleridae ). They include six species in four genera.
Features
Madagascar mongoose reach a body length 26-48 cm, a tail length of 16-33 centimeters and a weight of 500-1700 grams. Your body is slender and elongated, the legs are short. The bushy tail comprises one half to two thirds of the length of the hull. Your flattened skull is elongated and provided with a pointed snout. Their fur is grayish or brown, three of the six species have longitudinal stripes on.
Distribution and habitat
These animals are endemic to Madagascar. Their habitat are mainly forests, only the ring-tailed mongoose holds also in forest edges. The animals come in all types of forests their home island before, both in the rainforests of the east coast as well as in the deciduous forests of the west coast and the dry thorn forests in the southwest.
Way of life
Madagascar mongoose usually stay on the ground, but can climb well and swim. Three of the species are diurnal, but the broad area mongooses go mainly at night in search of food. As Sleeps serve them burrows, caves, fallen tree trunks, and more. The social behavior is not well known in many species. There are observations of live solitary or in family groups animals.
These animals are carnivores that feed on both small vertebrates and invertebrates.
Madagascar mongooses and humans
In some regions of Madagascar mongooses have a bad reputation because they are said to tear poultry. Main threat is in addition to the hunting of the progressive destruction of their habitat dar. With the exception of the ring-tailed mongoose all species are endangered.
System
Traditionally, the Madagascan mongoose were ( Herpestidae ) out as a family of mongoose, which they resemble in physique. According to recent genetic studies but do not belong to this family, but are part of the newly established Malagasy predators ( Eupleridae ), which includes all predators Madagascar - in addition to the Madagascar mongoose, these are still the Euplerinae ( Fossa, Falanuk and Fanaloka ).
The group includes six species in four genera:
- Ring-tailed mongoose ( Galidia elegans)
- Wide Stripe mongooses ( Galidictis ) ( Actual ) wide strip mongoose ( Galidictis fasciatus )
- Big Wide Stripe mongoose ( Galidictis grandidieri )
- Simple mongoose ( Salanoia concolor)
- Salanoia durrelli
Whether the Madagascar mongooses are actually monophyletic, that is, form a natural kinship group, is not entirely clear. The molecular findings advocates that at least curly tail mongoose, mongooses and narrow stripes wide stripes Mungo form a group of closely related animals, the position of the finishing mongoose is unclear.