| Eastern falanouc | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Eupleridae |
| Genus: | Eupleres |
| Species: | E. goudotii |
| Binomial name | |
| Eupleres goudotii Doyère, 1835 | |
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| Eupleres range | |
Theeastern falanouc (Eupleres goudotii) is a rare mongoose-like mammal in thecarnivoran familyEupleridae endemic toMadagascar .[3]
It is classified alongside theWestern falanouc (Eupleres major), recognized only in 2010, in the genusEupleres.[4] Falanoucs have several peculiarities. They have noanal or perinealglands (unlike their closest relative, thefanaloka), nonretractile claws, and a uniquedentition: thecanines andpremolars are backwards-curving and flat. This is thought to be related to their prey, mostly invertebrates, such asworms,slugs,snails, andlarvae.
It lives primarily in the lowlandrainforests of eastern Madagascar, whileE. major is found in northwest Madagascar. It is solitary and territorial, but whether nocturnal or diurnal is unknown. It is small (about 50 centimetres long with a 24-centimetre-long tail) and shy (clawing, not biting, in self-defence). It most closely resembles themongooses with its long snout and low body, though its colouration is plain and brown (most mongooses have colouring schemes such as striping, banding, or other variations on the hands and feet).
Itslife cycle displays periods of fat buildup during April and May, before the dry months of June and July. It has a brief courting period and weaning period, the young being weaned before the nextmating season. Itsreproductive cycle is fast. The offspring (one per litter) are born in burrows with opened eyes and can move with the mother through dense foliage at only two days old. In nine weeks, the already well-developed young are on solid food and shortly thereafter they leave their mothers. Though it is fast in gaining mobility (so as to follow its mother on forages), it grows at a slower rate than comparatively-sizedcarnivorans.
"Falanoucs are threatened by habitat loss, humans, dogs and an introduced competitor, thesmall Indian civet (Viverricula indica)."[5]
Viverricula indica are also carnivores, and they had much spatial and temporal overlap withEupleres goudotii when introduced to the same ecosystem theEupleres goudotii were in. This overlap has shown to potentially have a negative impact on native carnivore populations such as theEupleres goudotii because of the two species competing for similar resources.[6]
