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- Helogale parvula Sundevall, 1847
Helogale parvula Sundevall, 1847
Order: Carnivora > Family: Herpestidae > Genus: Helogale > Species: Helogale parvula Sundevall, 1847
Common Name: Common Dwarf Mongoose [English]
Type Description
Ofv. K. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Forhandl, Stockholm, 1846. 3(4):121 [1847].
Type Locality
'Caffraria superiore, juxta tropicum', restricted by Roberts (1951) to 'Zoutpansberg' [South Africa].
Measurements
Head and body: 180-260 mm
Tail length: 120-200 mm
Hindfoot length: 38-46 mm
Weight: 230-680 g
Tail length: 120-200 mm
Hindfoot length: 38-46 mm
Weight: 230-680 g
Description
This small mongoose is a common savannah inhabitant and is often seen around termite mounds, which provide shelter. Helogale is a social animal.
Distribution
Widely distributed from Eritrea and Somalia down to northern South Africa and up into Angola and the southern Congo up to 2,000 m, Helogale parvula is found in warmer areas of the savannas, thickets, woodlands, and bush and avoid highlands and forests. (Kingdon, 1989, 1997)
Key References
1. Kingdon, J. 1989. East African mammals: An atlas of evolution in Africa. (Carnivores). University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 3A:192-203. 2. Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon field guide to African mammals, AP Natural World Academic Press, Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, p. 242-243.
3. Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1:766-768, 777-778.
4. Swynnerton, G. H., and R. W. Hayman. 1951. A checklist of the land mammals of the Tanganyika Territory and the Zanzibar Protectorate. Journal of the East African Natural History Society, 20(6):274-392.
3. Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1:766-768, 777-778.
4. Swynnerton, G. H., and R. W. Hayman. 1951. A checklist of the land mammals of the Tanganyika Territory and the Zanzibar Protectorate. Journal of the East African Natural History Society, 20(6):274-392.