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.

Common names of members

Mongooses and suricates.

Distribution  

Mainly African, some spread to Asia and southern Europe.

Size

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

Morphology

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.

Habitat & Ecology

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

Diet

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

Reproduction 

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.

Species known in Hong Kong

2

Total species known

36

Species in the collection

3

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.