| Pousargues's mongoose | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Wild Pousargues's mongoose in theChinko Project Area | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Genus: | Dologale Thomas, 1920 |
| Species: | D. dybowskii |
| Binomial name | |
| Dologale dybowskii Pousargues, 1893 | |
 | |
| Pousargues's mongoose range | |
Pousargues's mongoose (Dologale dybowskii), also known as theAfrican tropical savannah mongoose, is amongoose native toCentral Africa. It is listed asdata deficient on theIUCN Red List as little is known about its distribution and ecology.[1] It is theonly species in the genusDologale.[2]
Up to the late 20th century, it was known from only around 30zoological specimens innatural history museum collections.[2]
The Pousargues's mongoose is brown with a grey belly and face. Its tail is bushy, and its front feet have strong claws. Its body length is between 25 and 33 cm (10 and 13 in) with a 16–23 cm (6.5–9 in) long tail.[2]
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In 1893,Eugène de Pousarguesfirst described the Pousargues's mongoose on the basis ofzoological specimens collected in 1892 near theKémo River. Thetype locality corresponds to the former French garrison founded by the Dybowski Mission close to the settlement ofFort de Possel. It is named in honor ofJean Dybowski who collected the specimens. It was initially subordinated to thegenusCrossarchus,[3][4] but was later moved to its own genus,Dologale.[2]
A genetic study focused onCarnivora highlighted the Pousargues's mongoose to be thesister-species of the genusHelogale.[5]
The Pousargues's mongoose ranges from northernDemocratic Republic of the Congo,South Sudan,Central African Republic to westernUganda.[2]
Mongooses sighted and recorded by a camera-trap in 2011 and 2012 in the Central African Republic were preliminarily identified as Pousargues's mongoose.[6]
In 2013, a group of Pousargues's mongooses was observed nearLake Albert in Uganda'sSemliki Wildlife Reserve.[7]In 2016, an individual was observed and photographed inGaramba National Park.[8]
Field research for the collection of basic data on its ecology is indispensable for designing adequate conservation measures.[2]
