The Ethiopian dwarf mongoose (''Helogale hirtula''), also known as the desert dwarf mongoose or Somali dwarf mongoose, is a

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

native to

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

, particularly

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

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. ...

, and

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. The Ethiopian dwarf mongoose sends out warning calls to its family if a predator is detected. It also produces general alarm calls when danger is not present. These calls have different pitches which indicate different levels of urgency for the family, could convey the predator's species, distance and elevation to the family all through alarm calls.

Subspecies

*''Helogale hirtula hirtula'' *''Helogale hirtula ahlselli'' *''Helogale hirtula annulata'' *''Helogale hirtula lutescens'' *''Helogale hirtula powelli''

References

Ethiopian dwarf mongoose Mammals of Ethiopia Fauna of the Horn of Africa Ethiopian dwarf mongoose Ethiopian dwarf mongoose {{Somalia-stub