Mongoose
(Redirected from Herpestidae)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Mongooses are 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Mongooses bear a striking resemblance to mustelids, having long faces and bodies, small, rounded ears, short legs, and long, tapering tails. Most are brindled or grizzly; few have strongly marked coats. Their nonretractile claws are used primarily for digging. Mongooses, much like goats, have narrow, ovular pupils.
For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Feliformia | |
 Common dwarf mongoose
|
 Meerkat
|
unidentified Mongooses
Common dwarf mongoose
| phylum | Chordata | The common dwarf mongoose is a typical mongoose: it has a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs and long claws. The species can be distinguished from other mongooses by its size. It is much smaller than most other species (18 to 28 cm, 210 to 350 grams); in fact, it is Africa's smallest member of the order Carnivora. The soft fur is very variable in color, ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown.
For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry.
|
| class | Mammalia | |
| infraclass | Eutheria | |
| order | Carnivora | |
| suborder | Feliformia | |
| family | Herpestidae | |
| genus | Helogale | |
| species | H. parvula |
Meerkat
| phylum | Chordata | Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan".
For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry.
|
| class | Mammalia | |
| infraclass | Eutheria | |
| order | Carnivora | |
| suborder | Feliformia | |
| family | Herpestidae | |
| genus | Suricata | |
| species | S. suricatta |
