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Crab-eating mongoose Herpestes urva Hodgson, 1836

Distribution

The crab-eating mongoose is distributed in Nepal, West Bengal, Assam, including Naga hills, eastward to Myanmar, south China including Formosa and Hainan, Laos PDR and the northern part of Malaysia (Wroughton 1917, Pocock 1939, Medway 1978, Corbet & Hill 1992, ZSI 1992, Choudhury 1997a,b, 1999).

Description

The crab-eating mongoose is similar in size to stripe-necked mongoose, with comparatively short tail. A stripe of white contour hair extends from the corner of the mouth to the shoulder. The sole of the hind foot is hairy nearly down to the hallux. The general colour of the coat above is black and white to dusky iron grey. The contour hair are white at the tip. The woolly under fur is dark brown at the base and pale brownish yellow at the tip. Head to body length is 450-500 mm, tail without hair at the end is 250-300 mm and weight varies from 1.8 - 2.3 kg.

Behaviour

The crab-eating mongoose is more aquatic in habit than other species of mongoose. It is largely nocturnal and hunts along the stream banks feeling under stones and in rock crevices with its paw for fish, crabs, snails and frogs. It also eats small mammals, birds and reptiles and possibly insects as well. The litter size is small, possibly two. The longest recorded life span is around 12 years in captivity (Acharjyo & Mohapatra 1976).

Conservation status

It is listed in Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Appendix III of CITES, and VU, B1 2ac during the CAMP Workshop.

| Introduction | Mustelids | Viverrids | Herpestids | 
| Conservation Significance | References |