Liberiictis kuhni
SUBFAMILY
Mungotinae
TAXONOMY
Liberiictis kuhni Hayman, 1958, Liberia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Mangouste de Liberia; German: Liberia-kusimanse; Spanish: Mangosta de Liberia.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body length 15.7–17.7 in (40–45 cm); tail 7–8.7 in (18–22 cm); weight 4.4–5 lb (2–2.3 kg). Coarse brown coat with grizzled, stiff guard hairs. Black stripe on neck. Tapering tail. Snout is long and mobile, extending beyond lower lip.
DISTRIBUTION
Liberia, western Ivory Coast, and southern Guinea.
HABITAT
Found in riverine and swamp forest.
BEHAVIOR
Diurnal. Living in small family groups of four to eight individuals.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Specialist on large burrowing earthworms and other soft invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeding thought to occur during the rainy season (May– September) during peak earthworm availability. Mating system is not known.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Listed as Endangered due to habitat degradation and hunting pressures.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Subject to hunting for bushmeat.
| Common name / Scientific name / Other common names | Physical characteristics | Habitat and behavior | Distribution | Diet | Conservation status |
| Narrow-striped mongoose Mungotictis decemlineata English: Ten-lined mongoose; French: Étroit barré mangouste; German: Schmalstreifenmungo; Spanish: Galindo de franjas estrechas | Small mongoose with gray grizzled coat. Narrow reddish brown stripes on back. Bushy tail gives squirrel-like appearance. Large ears and pointed snout. Body 11.8–13.8 in (30–35 cm); tail 8.7–10.6 in (22–27 cm); weight, 15.9–24.7 oz (450–700 g). | Diurnal and group living. Found in dry deciduous forests. | Very restricted. Forested area in Morandava region, Madagascar. | Insects, beetle larvae, and small vertebrates. | Vulnerable |
| Malagasy brown mongoose Salanoia concolor French: Mangouste salanoia; German: Brauner Madagaskar Mungo; Spanish: Salano | Similar to ring-tailed mongoose in form. No tail rings. Brown to reddish brown in color. Body 10.2–11.8 in (26–30 cm); tail 7.9–9.8 in (20–25 cm); weight 24.7–31.8 oz (700–900 g). | Behavior unknown. Found in dense forests. | East coast of Madagascar. | Insects and small vertebrates. | Vulnerable |
| Slender mongoose Herpestes sanguinus French: Mangouste rouge; German: Rote Manguste; Spanish: Mangosta rojo | Long slender body, short legs. Color varies from reddish brown to gray. Tail tip usually black. Body 10.2–13.4 in (26–34 cm); tail 9–12.6 in (23–32 cm); weight 14–28 oz (400–800 g). | Diurnal and solitary. Both sexes hold exclusive territories. Found in forest edge, woodlands, and savanna. | Africa, south of Sahara. | Rodents, reptiles, birds, and insects. | Not listed by IUCN |
| Banded mongoose Mungos mungo English: Water mongoose; French: Mangouste des marais; German: Sumpfmanguste; Spanish: Mangosta acuática | Grizzled gray with black stripes across rump. Feet and tail tip black. Body 11.8–17.7 in (30–45 cm); tail 6–11.8 in (15–30 cm); weight 3.3–4.9 lb (1.5–2.2 kg). | Diurnal, living in large stable groups. Found in savanna, scrub, and woodlands. | Riverine areas of sub-Saharan Africa. | Fish, crabs, bivalves, frogs, insects, birds, reptiles, and small mammals. | Not listed by IUCN |
| Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon English: Ichnumeon; French: Mangouste ichneumon; German: Ichneumon; Spanish: Mangosta africana | Pale grizzled fur with black tassled tail tip. Slender body and tail. Body 17.7–23.6 in (45–60 cm); tail 13–21.3 in (33–54 cm); weight 4.9–9 lb (2.2–4.1 kg). | Solitary and nocturnal. Found in grasslands, savanna, and forest clearings. | All of Africa except Sahara and forested areas. Also southern Spain, Portugal, and Israel. | Rodents, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects. | Not listed by IUCN |
| Meerkat Suricata suricatta English: Suricate; French: Suricate; German: Scharrtier; Spanish: Meerkat | Ochre-gray mongoose with dark stripes on rump and dark eye-rings and ears. Rotund body, long hind legs, and rounded head with tapering snout. Body 11.8–17.1 in (30–45 cm); tail 5.9–11.8 in (15–30 cm); weight 4–5 lb (1.5–2.3 kg). | Diurnal and group living. Occupies grassland, scrub, desert, and rangeland. | South Africa, Namib Desert, Angola, Namibia, and southern Botswana. | Insects associated with large herbivores of grassland. Small mammals and reptiles. | Not listed by IUCN; may be affected by decline of large herbivores, rabies control, and disease |
| Yellow mongoose Cynictis pencillata English: Red meerkat; French: Mangouste de selous; German: Trugmanguste; Spanish: Mangosta amarilla | Yellow to gray coat with white tipped tail. Short muzzle and large ears. Body 9.8–15.7 in (25–40 cm); tail 7–11 in (18–28 cm). | Diurnal. Lives in pairs or social groups led by alpha pair. Founds in grasslands, scrub, and semi-desert scrub | Southern Africa, in Karoo, Botswana, Cape, and Kalahari to southern Angola. | Insects, especially beetles and termites. | Not listed by IUCN |
| Bushy tailed mongoose Bdeogale crassicauda French: Mangouste à queue touffue; German: Buschschwanzichneumon; Spanish: Mangosta canina de cola gruesa | Dark brown mongoose with broad dog-like muzzle and bushy tail. Four toes on each foot. Body 15.7–19.7 in (40–50 cm); tail 7.9–11.8 in (20–30 cm); weight 3.5–5.6 lb (1.3–2.1 kg). | Nocturnal and solitary. Found in coastal thickets and woodlands. | Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, and Kenya. | Ants, termites, reptiles, and rodents. | Not listed by IUCN |
| Western cusimanse Crossarchus obscurus French: Mangouste brune; German: Dunkelkusimanse | Reddish brown mongoose with long snout and well developed claws on fore feet. Tail tapers to a point. Body 11.8– 14.6 in (30–37 cm); tail 5.9–9.8 in (15– 25 cm); weight 2.2–3.3 lb (1–1.5 kg). | Diurnal and highly social. Found in dense rainforest, gallery forest, and in the savanna/rainforest transition zone. | Sierra Leone to Ghana. | Leaf litter invertebrates, worms, rodents, frogs, and snakes (including venomous species). | Not listed by IUCN |
