The Angolan kusimanse (''Crossarchus ansorgei''), also known as Ansorge's kusimanse, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of small

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...

. There are two recognized subspecies: ''C. a. ansorgei'', found in

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

; and ''C. a. nigricolor'', found in DR Congo, which do not have overlapping ranges. It prefers rainforest type

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, and avoids regions inhabited by humans. It grows to 12–18 inches in length, with a 6–10 inch long

tail The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammal ...

, and weighs 1–3 lb. Little is known about this species of

kusimanse ''Crossarchus'' is a mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 liv ...

, and there are no estimates of its wild population numbers or status. Until 1984, the species was only known from two specimens from Baringa but are now thought to be quite common in some regions. Threats are probably

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and bushmeat hunting. However, this species is protected by

Salonga National Park Salonga National Park is a national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo located in the Congo River basin. It is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve covering about 36,000 km2 or . It extends into the provinces of Mai Ndombe, ...

References

External links

University of Rome: ''Crossarchus ansorgei''

Angolan kusimanse The Angolan kusimanse (''Crossarchus ansorgei''), also known as Ansorge's kusimanse, is a species of small mongoose. There are two recognized subspecies: ''C. a. ansorgei'', found in Angola; and ''C. a. nigricolor'', found in DR Congo, which do ...

Mammals of Angola Mammals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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