Ring-Tailed Mongoose

Ring-Tailed Mongoose

Ring-tailed vontsira

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Galidia elegans
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
13 years
Weight
700-900
24.7-31.7
goz
g oz 
Length
32-38
12.6-15
cminch
cm inch 

The ring-tailed vontsira, locally still known as the ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans ) is a euplerid in the subfamily Galidiinae, a carnivoran native to Madagascar.

Di

Diurnal

Ca

Carnivore

Te

Terrestrial

Al

Altricial

Bu

Burrowing

Pr

Predator

Is

Island endemic

So

Social

No

Not a migrant

R

starts with

Appearance

Ring-tailed mongooses have a long and slender body. Their head is rounded with a pointed snout. The body is dark red in color and the feet are black. As the name implies, their bushy tail is covered with black and red rings and is similar to the Red panda.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

Ring-tailed mongooses are native to Madagascar. They live in humid lowland and montane forest, and dry deciduous forest in the west of their range.

Ring-Tailed Mongoose habitat map

Climate zones

Ring-Tailed Mongoose habitat map
Ring-Tailed Mongoose
Attribution-ShareAlike License

Habits and Lifestyle

Ring-tailed mongooses are very agile; they are very good climbers and adapt swimmers. They are quite playful and are active during the day. These animals are social and usually found in pairs with up to three offspring. During the night they usually sleep in tree cavities or in burrows which they dig. Scent marking is an important form of communication between Ring-tailed mongooses. Only males have anal sacs which they rub on branches, tree trunks, and rocks.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Ring-tailed mongooses are carnivores. Their diet consists mostly of small mammals, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, and eggs. However, they occasionally will also eat insects and fruit.

Mating Habits

REPRODUCTION SEASON
April-November
PREGNANCY DURATION
72-92 days
BABY CARRYING
1 pup
BABY NAME
pup

Little information is known about the mating system in these animals. Their mating season occurs from April to November. Females give birth to a single pup after a gestation period that lasts from 72 to 92 days. Pups reach adult size when they are one year old, and become reproductively mature in their second year.

Population

Population threats

Major threats to Ring-tailed mongooses include habitat loss and degradation, and hunting. Another serious threat to these animals is competition with small Indian civets, feral dogs, and cats.

Population number

According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Ring-tailed mongoose is unknown. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Ring-Tailed Mongoose on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring-tailed_vontsira
2. Ring-Tailed Mongoose on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39426/45204213

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About