Herpestidae

Members of the Herspestidae family are those species not indigenous to Madagascar.

in terms of species' numbers, Herpestidae rank as an above average carnivore family, with thirty-four species placed into fourteen genera.

Approximately seventy-five percent of the species are native to the African continent. The remainder are native to South Asia.

Large family size and diversity makes it problematic to draw any but the most superficial similarities among species.

From a North American perspective, Herpestidae share physical and physical traits with mustelids. Many are small, solitary, terrestrial animals that build dens for breeding and protection. den dwellers with anal scent glands used to mark their territories.

On the other hand, a popular television show highlighted the social nature of the Meerkat. Other Herpestidae species such as the Dwarf Mongoose and Banded Mongoose also live in socially structured societies.

Lack of large scale development across the African continent has thus far translated into fairly stable Herpestidae populations. However, the family receives much less formal study, and as African economic development proceeds, and carnivore research improves, it is reasonable to assume that the next chapter of Herpestidae life will read much different that today's chapter.

© 2010. Patricia A. Michaels