獴科（Herpestidae）来自希腊语 ἑρπηστής（herpēstḗs,"匍匐"）,意为 "用四条腿走路的动物",指的是该科所有成员都是用四条腿紧贴地面行走的短小动物.

Herpestidae, from Greek ἑρπηστής (herpēstḗs, “creeping”), means “animal that walks on four legs”, in reference to the fact that all the members of this family are short animals that walk on four legs, close to the ground.

種的俗名 Common names of members

猫鼬和狐獴.

Mongooses and suricates.

分佈 Distribution 

主要分布在非洲,部分传播到亚洲和南欧.

Mainly African, some spread to Asia and southern Europe.

體型 Size

如果没有尾巴,牠们从头到身的长度从 24 公分到 58 公分不等.体重从 320 克到 5 公斤不等.

Without the tail, their head-to-body length varies from 24 to 58 cm. They weigh from 320g to 5 kg.

形態描述 Morphology

牠们的脸和身体都很长,耳朵小而圆,腿短,尾巴长而细.大多数都有刚毛或棕毛.牠们的爪子没有伸缩性,主要用于挖掘.獴与山羊很相似,瞳孔狭长,呈卵圆形.大多数种类都有一个大的肛门气味腺,用于标记领地和发出繁殖状态信号.牠们的神经系统有突变,特别是烟碱乙酰胆碱受体,可以抵御蛇毒.

They have long faces and bodies, small, rounded ears, short legs, and long, tapering tails. Most are brindled or grizzly. Their nonretractile claws are used primarily for digging. Mongooses, much like goats, have narrow, ovular pupils. Most species have a large anal scent gland, used for territorial marking and signaling reproductive status. They have mutations in the nervous system, specific in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, that protect against snake venom.

生態與棲息地 Habitat & Ecology

大部分为陆生,並在地下洞穴中休息,包含森林、热带草原、半荒漠、沙漠.

Most terrestrial and rest in underground burrows: forests, savanna, semi-desert, desert.

食性 Diet

牠们杂食水果、种子、昆虫、螃蟹、蚯蚓、蜥蜴、鸟类和啮齿动物.不过,牠们也吃蛋和腐肉.

They have an omnivorous diet, based on fruits, seeds, insects, crabs, earthworms, lizards, birds, and rodents. However, they also eat eggs and carrion.

繁殖 Reproduction

牠们通常一胎生 2-6 个后代.有些物种组成一个社会群体,包括 2-3 个家庭和多达 50 个个体.有些种类则是独居,独自照顾孩子.

They usually give birth to 2-6 offspring in a litter. Some species form a social group which contains 2-3 families and up to 50 individuals. Some species are solitary and take care of their child on their own.

已知的物種

Total species known

36

博物館收藏的物種

Species in the collection

3

在香港已知的物種

Species in Hong Kong

2

Reference

Feldhamer, G. A., L. C. Drickamer, S. H. Vessey, and J. F. Merritt. (2020). Mammalogy. Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Nowak, R. M. (2005). Walker's Carnivores of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Cronk, N. E., Pillay, N. (2018) Food choice and feeding on carrion in two African mongoose species in an urban environment. acta ethologica, 21, 127–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-018-0291-x.