Liberian Mongoose
Encyclopedia
The Liberian Mongoose (Liberiictis kuhni) is a mongoose
that was discovered in Liberia
in 1958. Little was known about the animal except what local natives related. The animals were said to live in small groups and fed on earthworms and various other insects. The exact distribution is unknown, but may extend from Sierra Leone
to the Ivory Coast. Confirmed sightings are restricted to forests in Liberia and the Tai National Park
in the Ivory Coast. A live specimen was exhibited at the Toronto Zoo
, but civil war in Liberia has prevented further study. Due to its limited range and that it is heavily hunted, the Liberian mongoose is considered endangered.
The Liberian mongoose has a primarily dark brown body, with a darker stripe on the neck and shoulders. This stripe is bordered by smaller stripes that are white. Compared with other mongoose species, the Liberian mongoose has rather long claws and an elongated snout with small teeth. One of the few specimens ever seen alive was found in a burrow close to a termite nest. The animal's physical characteristics, and it's preferred locality to insects, has led experts to suggest that the Liberian mongoose is primarily insectivorous. The few observers that have witnessed this species in the wild have reported that the animal lives primarily in the trunks of trees. Indeed, some of the better-known mongoose species live in tree during the rainy season and occupy burrows only during hotter weather.
This species is extremely rare, and has been listed by the IUCN as endangered. Human destruction of their habitat and human hunting are the primary threats to Liberian mongooses. Owing to their rarity, they were not described until 1958, with the first complete specimens discovered as recently as 1974. An attempt to study them in 1988 yielded only one animal, which had already been killed by a hunter.The specimen that lived at the Toronto Zoo
has since died. Political unrest in the areas in which they live has made further studies difficult in recent years, and much has yet to be discovered about the behavior of this animal in the wild, particularly in regard to its life cycle and communicative behavior.
(Nowak, 1999; Taylor, 1992)
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
that was discovered in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
in 1958. Little was known about the animal except what local natives related. The animals were said to live in small groups and fed on earthworms and various other insects. The exact distribution is unknown, but may extend from Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
to the Ivory Coast. Confirmed sightings are restricted to forests in Liberia and the Tai National Park
Taï National Park
Taï National Park is a national park in Côte d'Ivoire containing one of the last areas of primary rainforest in West Africa. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the breadth of its flora and fauna...
in the Ivory Coast. A live specimen was exhibited at the Toronto Zoo
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the cities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated to form the...
, but civil war in Liberia has prevented further study. Due to its limited range and that it is heavily hunted, the Liberian mongoose is considered endangered.
The Liberian mongoose has a primarily dark brown body, with a darker stripe on the neck and shoulders. This stripe is bordered by smaller stripes that are white. Compared with other mongoose species, the Liberian mongoose has rather long claws and an elongated snout with small teeth. One of the few specimens ever seen alive was found in a burrow close to a termite nest. The animal's physical characteristics, and it's preferred locality to insects, has led experts to suggest that the Liberian mongoose is primarily insectivorous. The few observers that have witnessed this species in the wild have reported that the animal lives primarily in the trunks of trees. Indeed, some of the better-known mongoose species live in tree during the rainy season and occupy burrows only during hotter weather.
This species is extremely rare, and has been listed by the IUCN as endangered. Human destruction of their habitat and human hunting are the primary threats to Liberian mongooses. Owing to their rarity, they were not described until 1958, with the first complete specimens discovered as recently as 1974. An attempt to study them in 1988 yielded only one animal, which had already been killed by a hunter.The specimen that lived at the Toronto Zoo
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the cities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated to form the...
has since died. Political unrest in the areas in which they live has made further studies difficult in recent years, and much has yet to be discovered about the behavior of this animal in the wild, particularly in regard to its life cycle and communicative behavior.
(Nowak, 1999; Taylor, 1992)