The bushy-tailed mongoose (''Bdeogale crassicauda'') is a

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

in the family Herpestidae found in

central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...

, from southern

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

to central

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

Characteristics

The bushy-tailed mongoose has a greyish to yellowish brown fur. The underfur is dense, and the

guard hair Guard hair or overhair is the outer layer of hair of most mammals, which overlay the fur. Guard hairs are long and coarse and protect the rest of the pelage (fur) from abrasion and frequently from moisture. They are visible on the surface of the ...

s are long. Its head is rounded. It has short woolly ears and a plush muzzle. Its tail is wide and bushy. Five individuals captured in Arusha National Park had a head-to-body length of with a long tail and a long feet; they weighed .

Taxonomy

* ''B. c. crassicauda'', central Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia * ''B. c. nigrescens'', Central Kenya (Nairobi) * ''B. c. puisa'', northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania * ''B. c. tenuis''

Phylogeny

The bushy tailed mongoose is closely related to the black-footed mongoose (''Bdeogale nigripes''). Perez's study of genes within the family Herpestidae showed the genus ''Bdeogale'' is monophyletic. Close cousins of this clade include the genera ''Ichneumia'' and ''Cynictis''.

Distribution and habitat

Because of the bushy-tailed mongoose's size and stealthiness, its range is not completely known. Although, it apparently prefers locations near rivers that provide cover. The bushy-tailed mongoose inhabits foremost open shrubland and multilayered forest. These habitats vary little in temperature and humidity. In northern

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

, the bushy-tailed mongoose was recorded in more than 31 camera trap locations in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Biharamulo-Burigi-Kimisi Game Reserve and Mahale Mountains National Park, mostly in

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

woodlands and riparian zones.

Conservation

The bushy-tailed mongoose is listed as

Least Concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

. It is negatively impacted by habitat degradation and fragmentation, prey depletion and land use dynamics caused by cattle grazing.

References

External links

Bushy-tailed mongoose
Tanzanian Mammal Atlas Project {{Taxonbar, from=Q1017414 bushy-tailed mongoose Mammals of Malawi Mammals of Mozambique Mammals of Tanzania Mammals of Zimbabwe Fauna of East Africa bushy-tailed mongoose bushy-tailed mongoose