Ruddy mongoose
| Ruddy mongoose | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Genus: | Urva |
| Species: | U. smithii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Urva smithii (Gray, 1837)
| |
| |
| Ruddy mongoose range | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Herpestes smithii | |
The ruddy mongoose (Urva smithii) is a species of mongoose native to the forests of India and Sri Lanka. It is classified as least concern in the IUCN Red List.
Taxonomy
[edit]In 1837, British zoologist John Edward Gray proposed the scientific name Herpestes smithii for a zoological specimen in the collection of the British Natural History Museum.[3] Different species names were proposed by various biologists over the years for the ruddy mongooses. In 2009, the Asian mongooses were classified under a new genus, Urva.[4][5] Three different sub-species have been recognized: smithii, thysanurus, and zeylanius.[6]
Distribution and habitat
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The ruddy mongoose is found in forests and shrub lands in India and Sri Lanka.[4][7][8] It is mainly a forest dweller and prefers more secluded areas. It has also been recorded to forage in secluded paddy fields in the region.[9] It is classified as least concern in the IUCN Red List.[8]
Description
[edit]The ruddy mongoose is a large mongoose with a greyish-brown fur.[10] It has an average head to body length of 40–45 cm (16–18 in) and a 36 cm (14 in) long tail.[11] The long tail features a darker tasseled tip,[10] which is usually curved upward, and is visible from a distance.[9]
Ecology and behavior
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The ruddy mongoose hunts during both day and night, and feeds on birds, rat snakes, land monitors, rodents and snails.[9] It is generally considered a solitary animal, though it has been recorded in monogamous pairs during the mating season. Family groups of up to five animals consisting of a mother and pups have been observed in the wild.[11] While they are generally found in thick jungles, and edges of the forests, they occasionally venture into paddy fields and tea estates. They quickly withdraw into a crevice or underneath a rock shelf on confrontation with humans. When they are cornered, they often show aggressive behaviour while making loud and shrill noises.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ Mudappa, D. & Choudhury, A. (2016). "Herpestes smithii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T41617A45208195.
- ^ "Herpestes smithii Gray, 1837". Species+. UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ Gray, J. E. (1837). "Description of some or little known Mammalia, principally in the British Museum Collection". The Magazine of Natural History and Journal of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology and Meteorology. I (November): 577–587.
- ^ a b "Urva smithii". Mammal Diversity. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Herpestes smithii". Animal Diversity. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Indian marsh mongoose Herpestes palustris Ghose". Archived from the original on 8 September 2003.
- ^ Nowak, Ronald M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 771. ISBN 978-0-801-85789-8.
- ^ a b "Urva smithii". IUCN. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Prater, S.H. (1971). The Book of Indian Animals (Third ed.). Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society. ISBN 978-0-195-62169-3.
- ^ a b Luke Hunter (2020). Field Guide to Carnivores of the World, 2nd Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-472-98267-4.
- ^ a b c Yapa, A.; Ratnavira, G. (2013). Mammals of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka. p. 1012. ISBN 978-955-8576-32-8.
External links
[edit]
Data related to Herpestes smithii at Wikispecies
