Stripe-necked Mongoose
Herpestes vitticollis
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyHerpestidae (Mongooses)
- GenusHerpestes (Slender Mongooses)
- SpeciesHerpestes vitticollis (Stripe-necked Mongoose)
About the Stripe-necked Mongoose
The stripe-necked mongoose (Urva vitticolla) is a mongoose species native to forests and shrublands from southern India to Sri Lanka. English zoologist Edward Turner Bennett described this species in 1835. There are two subspecies. U. vitticolla vitticolla is from the provinces of Western Ghats, Coorg and Kerala, and has more of a reddish tint to its fur. The other, U. vitticolla inornata, is found in the Kanara province, and lacks a reddish tint to its fur.
It is rusty brown to grizzled grey, has a stout body and short legs, a black stripe that runs laterally on both sides of its neck. Its short tail is mostly black, but grey at the base. Head to body length is 46–50 cm (18–20 in) with tail length of 32 cm (13 in). Males are larger and heavier than females with the weight of 3.1 kg (6.8 lb). Females weigh about 1.7 kg (3.7 lb).
The stripe-necked mongoose is distributed in the Western Ghats and in Sri Lanka. In 1911, one individual was observed in southern Andhra Pradesh. It is diurnal and feeds on frogs, crabs, mouse deer, black naped hares, rodents, fowl, and reptiles. It generally avoids... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Stripe-necked Mongoose in Bandipur National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Bandipur National Park
Ruddy Mongoose
Herpestes smithii
Indian Gray Mongoose
Herpestes edwardsi
Indian Brown Mongoose
Herpestes fuscus
Tiger
Panthera tigris
Dhole
Cuon alpinus
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Sloth Bear
Melursus ursinus
Jungle Cat
Felis chaus
Asian Jackal
Canis aureus
Striped Hyena
Hyaena hyaena
Smooth Coated Otter
Lutrogale perspicillata
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 5 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 9 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Stripe-necked Mongoose in Bandipur National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Stripe-necked Mongoose sighting in Bandipur National Park, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Stripe-necked Mongoose in Bandipur National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Stripe-necked Mongoose in Bandipur National Park in our monthly data.