Bushy-tailed Mongoose

About the Bushy-tailed Mongoose

The bushy-tailed mongoose (Bdeogale crassicauda) is a mammal in the family Herpestidae found in central Africa, from southern Kenya to central Mozambique. The bushy-tailed mongoose has a greyish to yellowish brown fur. The underfur is dense, and the guard hairs are 5–45 mm (0.20–1.77 in) long. Its head is rounded.

It has short woolly ears and a plush muzzle. Its tail is wide and bushy. Five individuals captured in Arusha National Park had a head-to-body length of 383–407 mm (15.1–16.0 in) with a 230 mm (9.1 in) long tail and a 74.9–77.7 mm (2.95–3.06 in) long feet; they weighed 1.273–1.3 kg (2.81–2.87 lb).

B. c. crassicauda, central Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia B. c. nigrescens, Central Kenya (Nairobi) B. c. puisa, northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania B. c. tenuis The bushy tailed mongoose is closely related to the black-footed mongoose (Bdeogale nigripes). Perez's study of genes within the family Herpestidae showed the genus Bdeogale is monophyletic. Close cousins of this clade include the genera Ichneumia and Cynictis.

Because of the bushy-tailed mongoose's size and stealthiness, its range is... Wikipedia →