#galidictis

Giant-striped Vontsira aka Grenedier's Mongoose (Galidictis grandidieri), family Eupleridae, Parc National de Tsimanampetsotsa, Madagascar

ENDANGERED.

Broad-striped Malagasy Mongoose Galidictis fasciata

It is endemic to eastern Madagascar. The broad-striped Malagasy mongoose is nocturnal. It forages alone or in pairs, and uses its keen sense of smell and hearing to detect prey. The mongoose is carnivorous and its diet mainly consists of insects, small reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals, which it digs out from soil and leaf litter. Known as vontsira in the Malagasy language.

Giant-striped mongoose (Galidictis grandidieri) Also known as: Grandidier’s mongoose, Grandidier’s vontsira

The giant-striped mongoose is a small carnivoran that lives only in a very small area of southwestern Madagascar, in areas of spiny forest vegetation. This species has been called one of the rarest carnivorans in the world. Nocturnal and crepuscular, this species lives in pairs which produce one offspring a year, in the summer. They hunt primarily by searching through ground litter and in rock crevices and their diet consists mainly of invertebrates and small vertebrates. The animals can be vocal, with a cooing mew, and are described as sociable and playful.   The giant-striped mongoose’s habitat is threatened by livestock grazing and clearance for maize cultivation. It is probably at risk of predation by non-native carnivores, especially dogs. It may also be victim to poaching for the illegal pet trade.

Classification Animalia - Chordata - Mammalia - Eutheria - Boreoeutheria - Laurasiatheria - Scrotifera - Ferae - Carnivoramorpha - Carnivora - Feliformia - Viverroidea - Viverridae - Herpestoidea - Eupleridae - Galidiinae - Galidictis - G. grandidieri