The Small A sian
Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), also known as the Indian Mongoose, Small
Indian Mongoose, or the Javan Mongoose, is a species of mongoose found
in the wild in South and Southeast Asia. It has also been introduced to
various parts of the world.
This species of mongoose is sympatric with Herpestes edwardsii in much
of its native range and can be readily distinguished from the latter
species by its much smaller size. The body is slender and the head is
elongated with a pointed snout. The lengths of the head and body is
509-671mm. The ears are short. They have five toed feet with long claws.
The sexes differ in size with males having a wider head and bigger size.
They use about 12 different vocalizations.
Distribution and habitat
This species occurs naturally throughout most of southern mainland
Asia, from Iraq to China, as well as on the island of Java, at altitudes
up to 2200 m. It has also been introduced to dozens of islands in the
Pacific and Caribbean, and a few in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean,
as well as to mainland Venezuela. It is capable of living among fairly
dense human populations.
The mongoose was introduced onto Okinawa Island in 1910 and Amami
Ōshima Island in 1979 in an attempt to control the population of
venomous habu and other pests; an invasive species, they have since
become pests themselves.
Mongooses lives in scrublands and dry forest. On Pacific Islands they
live in rainforests as well.
Diet
These mongooses mostly eat insects but are opportunistic feeders and
will eat crabs, frogs, spiders, scorpions, snakes, and birds and bird
eggs.
Behavior and reproduction
Mongooses are mostly solitary although males will sometimes form
social groups and share burrows. Pregnancy duration is up to 49 days. A
litter can consist of 2-5 young.
Introduction to Hawaii
The 1800s were a huge century for sugar cane, and plantations shot up
on many tropical islands including Hawai'i and Jamaica. With sugar cane
came rats, attracted to the sweet plant, which ended up causing crop
destruction and loss. Attempts were made to introduce the species in
Trinidad in 1870 but this failed.[6] A subsequent trial with four males
and five females from Calcutta however established in Jamaica in 1872. A
paper published by W. B. Espeut that praised the results intrigued
Hawaiian plantation owners who, in 1883, brought 72 mongooses from
Jamaica to the Hamakua Coast on the Big Island. These were raised and
their offspring were shipped to plantations on other islands.
Populations that have been introduced to these islands show larger sizes
than in their native ranges.They also show genetic diversification due
to drift and population isolation.
Only the islands of Lana'i and Kaua'i are (thought to be) free of
mongooses. There are two conflicting stories of why Kaua'i was spared.
The first is that the residents of Kaua'i were opposed to having the
animals on the island and when the ship carrying the offspring reached
Kaua'i, the animals were thrown overboard and drowned. A second story
tells that on arriving on Kaua'i one of the mongooses bit a dockworker
who, in a fit of anger, threw the caged animals into the harbor to
drown.
[edit] Invasive species
The mongoose introduction did not have the desired effect of rat
control. The mongoose hunted birds and bird eggs threatening many local
island species. The mongooses bred prolifically with males becoming
sexually mature at 4 months and females producing litters of 2-5 pups a
year.
Mongooses can carry leptospirosis. |
