| Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Eupleridae |
| Genus: | Galidictis |
| Species: | G. fasciata |
| Binomial name | |
| Galidictis fasciata (Gmelin, 1788) | |
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| Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose range | |
Thebroad-striped Malagasy mongoose orbroad-striped vontsira (Galidictis fasciata) is aspecies of small mongooses native to Eastern Madagascar. The species contains two known subspecies.
The broad-striped Malagasy mongoose belongs to the animal familyEupleridae, which includes various ofmongooses found in Madagascar. The species has two known subspecies–Galidictis fasciata fasciata andGalidictis fasciata striata.[1][2] The species namefasciata means "banded" inLatin. It is commonly known as vontsira fotsy or white vontsira inMalagasy language.[3]
Broad-striped mongooses are small to medium sized mongooses with short legs and long bushy tails. They have long and slender heads with a pointed snout. The species has a distinctive coat pattern with broad dark stripes with the body fur varying from reddish-brown to gray.[4][5] Adults measure about 40–50 cm (16–20 in) in body length with a bushy tail roughly equal in length to the body.[6] The primary characteristics that set the subspecies apart are their stripes and tails. The fasciata sub-species has a fuller, reddish-brown tail and about eight to ten stripes, while the striata sub-species has a thinner, white tail and five stripes.[4][7]
The species is endemic to eastern Madagascar. It inhabits lowland and montane rainforests at elevations typically ranging between 440 to 1,500 m (1,440 to 4,920 ft). While it is mostly terrestrial, it can climb trees. It prefers dense understory and forest floor habitats where it can hunt in leaf litter and low vegetation.[5][8][9] TheIUCN lists the broad-striped Malagasy mongoose asvulnerable.[1] Protected areas have been established in Madagascar for the protection of various animal species including member species of the Eupleridae family.[5][10]
The broad-striped Malagasy mongoose isnocturnal.[5] It forages alone or in pairs, and uses its keen sense of smell and hearing to detect prey.[4] The mongoose iscarnivorous and its diet mainly consists of insects, small reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals, which it digs out from soil and leaf litter.[11]
