Somalian slender mongoose

The Somalian slender mongoose (Herpestes ochraceus) is a small sized mongoose found in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in Eastern Africa. It inhabits the dry areas across the region. It is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Somalian slender mongoose
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Herpestidae
Genus:	Herpestes
Species:	H. ochraceus[2]
Binomial name
Herpestes ochraceus[2] Gray, 1848
Somalian slender mongoose range
Synonyms
Galerella ochracea

Taxonomy

Somalian slender mongoose (Herpestes ochraceus) belongs to the mongoose family Herpestidae.^[3] It was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1848 based on a brownish yellow specimen of a male mongoose collected in Somalia.^[4] Prior to being identified as a separate species, it was categorized as a subspecies of the Common slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguinea). There are four recognized sub-species – ochracea which was described by Gray in 1848, fulvidior and perfulvidus which were described by Oldfield Thomas in 1904, and bocagei which was described by Thomas and Robert Charles Wroughton in 1905.^[2][5]

Distribution and habitat

The mongoose is found in Somalia, Ethiopia and north-eastern Kenya in Eastern Africa.^[6] It inhabits the dry areas in the region, and have been recorded up to altitudes of 600 m (2,000 ft) in Ethiopia.^[2][5] Based on available information, it is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List.^[1]

Morphology and behavior

The Somalian slender mongoose is a small sized mongoose with a slender body and a long tail. The males average about 0.6 kg (1.3 lb) in weight, measure about 25–29 cm (9.8–11.4 in) from head to tail and are larger than the females.^[6][5] The color of the fur varies in colour from pale gray to dark brown, and red. Individuals at higher altitudes tend to have darker skin, while paler skin is commonly found in individuals from the dry lowlands. They have large auditory bullae, which is an adaptation for better hearing.^[6] It can be differentiated from the common slender mongoose by the absence of the black tail tip. They are diurnal and active during the day.^[5]