Short-tailed mongoose

The short-tailed mongoose (Urva brachyura) is a mongoose species native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. It inhabits evergreen forest and rural gardens from sea level to an elevation of 1,500 m (4,900 ft). It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2008.^[1]

Short-tailed mongoose
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Herpestidae
Genus:	Urva
Species:	U. brachyura
Binomial name
Urva brachyura (Gray, 1837)
Short-tailed mongoose range
Synonyms
Herpestes brachyurus

It was first described by John Edward Gray in 1837.^[2]

It is red-brown to black and has black limbs. The head is grayish with a black spot on the chin. Its total body length is 60–65 cm (24–26 in) including a 25 cm (9.8 in) short tail. It weighs about 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).^{[citation needed]}

Subspecies

• U. b. brachyura
• U. b. hosei (by some considered a species, Hose's mongoose Herpestes hosei)^[3]
• U. b. javanensis
• U. b. palawanus
• U. b. parvus
• U. b. sumatrius