Suvad Lelo
1Odsjek za biologiju Prirodno-matematičkog fakulteta Sarajevo
Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, 71.000 Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
ABSTRACT
Lelo, S. The Small Indian mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus Hodgson, 1836 (Mammalia: Carnivora), in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this paper general and specific data about small indian mongoose in Bosnia and Herzegovina is given.
Key words: small indian mongoose, Herpestes, auropunctatus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ecology
LITERATURA
Anonimus, 2006. Studija – nacrt Cestovnog koridora Vc Lot 4: Dionica Mostar sjever – južna granica. Institut građevinarstva Hrvatske d.d., Zagreb, pp. 17. i 90.
Anonimus, 2007. Korčula: flora i fauna. http://ikorcula.net/korcula_info/general/ korcula_flora_i_fauna.htm.
Baldwin, P., Schwartz, C. & Schwartz, E., 1952. Life hitory and economic status of the mongoose in Hawaii. Journal Mammal, 33: 335-356.
Bogdanowicz, W., 2007. Fauna Europaea: Mammalia. Version 1.3, http://www.faunaeur.org.
Cavallini, P. & Nel, J., 1995. Comparative behavior and ecology of two sympatric mongoose species (Cynictis penicillata and Galerella pulverulenta). South African Journal of Zoology, 30: 46-49.
Ewer, R., 1977. The Carnivores. Cornell University Press, New York.
Frković, A., 2000. Mungos na otoku Mljetu. Šumarski list, 11-12, 693-699 (kao i na: http://www.sumari.hr/sumlist/sadrzaj.asp?gb=B1112/2000&lng=HR&st=200006930#200006930).
Gorman, M., 1976. Seasonal changes in the reproductive pattern of feral Herpestes auropunctatus in the Fijian Islands. Journal of Zoology, 178: 237-246.
Kryštufek, B. & Tvrtković, N., 1992. New information on the introduction into Europe of the small Indian mongose, Herpestes auropunctatus. Smal Carnivore Conservation, 7: 16.
Lelo, S., (ed) 2007. Fauna Bosne i Hercegovine – Biosistematski pregledi. 3. dopunjeno i izmijenjeno izdanje. Interno izdanje Udruženja za inventarizaciju i zaštitu životinja, Ilijaš, Kanton Sarajevo, pp. 1-403.
Lelo, S. i Spahić, E., 2007: Zakon o lovstvu FBiH (II): Primjedbe Zakonu o lovstvu (Službene novine FbiH, br. 4, pp: 304-314, od 1.2.2006.). Lovački list, 63(111): 32.
Lutz, J., 2003. Herpestes javanicus, Indian mongoose, Also: Javan mongoose. Animal Diversity Web (On Line): Accessed October 2007: http://animaldiversity. ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/ information/Herpestes_javanicus.html.
Nellis, D. & Everard, C., 1983. The biology of the mongoose in the Caribbean. Studies of the fauna of Curacae and other Caribbean islands, 195: 1-162.
Ogura, G., Sakashita, M. & Kawashima, Y., 1998: External morphology and classification of mongoose on Okinawa island. Honyurui Kagaku, 38: 259-270.
Ogura, G., Kawashima, Y., Nakamoto, W. & Oda, S., 2000: Postnatal Growth in the Small Asian Mongoose, Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus, Raised in Captivity on Okinawa. Japanese journal of zoo and wildlife medicine, 5(1): 77-85.
Pearson, O. & Baldwin, P., 1953. Reproduction and age structure of a mongoose population in Hawaii. Journal Mammal, 34: 436-447.
Seaman, G. & Randall, J., 1962. The mongoose as a predator in the Virgin Islands. Journal Mammal, 43: 544-546.
Sofradžija, A. i Muzaferović, Š., 1999. Biodiverzitet sisara Bosne i Hercegovine – katalog. Projekat Soros fondacije: Fond “Otvoreno društvo Bosne i Hercegovine”. Sarajevo.
Sofradžija, A. i Muzaferović, Š., 2007: Biodiverzitet sisara Bosne i Hercegovine: Katalog. Institut za genetičko inženjerstvo i biotehnologiju, Sarajevo.
Tomich, P. Q. & Devick, W. S., 1970. Age criteria for the prenatal and immature mongoose in Hawaii. Anat. Rec., 167: 107–114.
Tvrtković, N. & Kryštufek, B., 1990: Small Indian mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus (Hodgson 1936) on the Adriatic Islands of Yugoslavia. Bonner Zoologische Beitrage, 41: 3-8.
Williams, C., 1918: The food habits of the mongoose in Trinidad. Bulletin of Dept. of Agriculture of Trinidad & Tobago, 17: 167-186.
SUMMARY
Detailed analysis of deta pretaining to mongoose in Mediteraninan and Balkan peninsula shows that small indian mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus Hodgson, 1836 can be found in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well (Lelo, 2007). Using relevant date we can give a definite claime that no other species can be found in this area or the region. There is also a different opinion regarding the taconomy of the this species. Some authors treat is as a subspecies of the Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus E. G. Saint-Hilaire, 1818), i.e. Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus Hodgson, 1836. Despite that, sinonimy of taxons javanicus Saint-Hilaire and auropunctatus Hodgson is a taxonomic mistake.
This species has all the characteristic morfological features of a mongoose, but is significantlly smaller. Males are larger than females. Their head is darker, and their fur colour varies from pale gray to brown with golden patches. They have a long tale (2-3 time slonger than they body) and coverd in thick hair. Their fur can stand on end which makes these animals seem twice as large to it’s pradators and prey. Genrally, males wight around 650g and femals aroun 470g (Ewer, 1977). Useing animals in captivaty it was determined that their young wight 24-27g two days after birth.
In the Northern Hemisphere sexually mature females breed from February untill early September, and in the Southern Hemisphere from August untill Februar. The duration of pregnancy is 49 days. A litter typically consists of two young, but as many as five have been recorded. Females have 4-6 breasts and stop breastfeeding their young 4-5 weeks after their birth (Gorman, 1976; Pearson i Baldwin 1953; Nellis & Everard, 1983).
There is limited amount of data regarding mongoose in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and this is from B. Kryštufeka (Kryštufek & Tvrtković, 1992; Bogdanowicz, 2007). Other information is obtained from „A study – blueprint of road corridor Vc Lot 4: Mostar north – south boarder”, and the author of „Section: 1.13. Game animals and hunting” lists mongoose as a game animal and lists it as „Mongoose – Herpestes ishneumon L.“ (Anonymous, 2006), probably quoting incorrect data form cratina „Law on hunting“ (Zakon o lovstvu, „Narodne novine“, no. 140/05). S. Lelo saw (from inside a car, 20 m away, in the company of Adi Vesnić & Aldin Arnautović) a mongoose crossing the road on 16th Jun 2006. This was on the road Stolac-Hutovo. The author also has reliable information that small Indian mongoose was shot in Čvaljani in Popovo polje during last winter (December 2006, told by Andrija Lučić).