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

Grey mongoose Herpestes edwardsii Geoffroy, 1818

Distribution

The grey or the common mongoose occurs in the whole of India from an altitude of 2100 m in the Himalayas down to Kanyakumari in the south. In the west it extends to Iran and Iraq, and in the east to China (Pocock 1939, Medway 1978, Prater 1971, Corbet & Hill 1992). Its occurrence has been confirmed from the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Description

It is a medium sized tawny or yellowish grey mongoose with no stripes on the side of its neck. The tail is long, almost equal to the head and body length. The hair at the tip of the tail are pallid to ochreous-red, but never black. The contour hair of the back are harsh, longer than the rest of the body, and marked with as many as ten dark and light bands alternately arranged, giving a speckled aspect to the pelage. The legs are always darker than the body. Total length is up to 900 mm with tail length of around 450 mm (Medway 1978). The head to body length varies between 360 and 450 mm (Corbet & Hill 1992). Males are always heavier and larger than females with weights ranging from 1.34-1.7 kg and 0.89-1.12 kg respectively (Medway 1978).

Three Indian subspecies are identified, a north and central Indian race H. edwardsii nyula Hodson, 1836, with a fuller somewhat darker coat, a desert race H. edwardsii ferrugineus Blanford, 1874, with reddish fur, and a typical south Indian race H. edwardsii edwardsii Geoffroy, 1818. In field conditions the subspecies are difficult to identify as there is marked variation in the colour of the coat due to age, season and locality factors.

Behaviour

The grey mongoose is commonly found in open forests, scrub lands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrows, hedgerows and thickets, among groves of trees, taking shelter under rocks or bushes and even in drains. It is very bold and inquisitive but wary, seldom venturing far from cover. It climbs well. Usually found singly or in pairs. They prey on rodents, snakes, birds’ eggs and hatchlings, lizards and variety of invertebrates. Along the Chambal river they occasionally predate on gharial eggs (Chowdhury 1981). They breed throughout the year, gestation period is around 60-65 days, litter size 2-5. Maturity is achieved at the age of 6 to 9 months. The longest recorded life span is 11 years and 2 months in captivity (Jarvis & Morris 1961).

Conservation status

It is listed in Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Appendix III of CITES. It was evaluated as LR 1c during the CAMP Workshop.

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