Liberiictis kuhni Hayman 1958

32.

Liberian Mongoose

Liberiictis kuhni

French: Mangouste du Libéria / German: Liberia-Kusimanse / Spanish: Mangosta de Liberia

Taxonomy. Liberiictis kuhni Hayman, 1958,

Kpeaplay, NE Liberia.

Monotypic.

Distribution. Ivory Coast and Liberia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 43.2-46. 8 cm, tail 19.7-20. 5 cm; weight 2-3 kg. No sexual dimorphism has been reported. A medium-sized mongoose, with a dark brown pelage, a pale throat, and two dark stripes on the sides of the neck (bordered by faint white ones). Head elongated, with a long snout; ears small and round. The tail is bushy, gradually tapering towards the tip. Legs are gradually darker toward the extremities. Dental formula I 3/3 C 1/1 P 4/4 M 2/2 = 40. Teeth are relatively small and mandibles weak.

Habitat. Primary and secondary evergreen forest, and swamp forest; found near streambeds with deep sandy soils.

Food and Feeding. Field observations and scat analyses suggest that the Liberian Mongoose is an earthworm specialist, primarily eating large species of the family Megascolecidae. In the Ivory Coast (Tai National Park), 32 scats all contained earthworms. However, remains of caecilians (subterranean amphibians) were found in four scats, suggesting that small vertebrates may also be taken if encountered while digging for worms. Insect larvae and fruits were also consumed. Foraging is restricted to riverine wetland areas and swamp forest. Individuals dig for earthworms and other soil invertebrates by alternately using the front feet to excavate the earth, and then sticking the muzzle into the soil. Sand is often ingested with food items. Foraging activities in a streambed or swamp forest may result in considerable disturbance of the soil. Groups return to the same area to forage approximately once every three to four weeks. Has been reported to climb palm trees to forage for beetle larvae.

Activity patterns. Appears to be diurnal. Group members sleep together at night in hollow logs, underfallen trees, or occasionally in termite mounds; den sites are rarely used on consecutive nights.

Movements, Home range, and Social organization. Terrestrial and social. Individuals travel and forage alone or in groups of four to six animals, though larger groups have been observed. Adult males are often observed alone; a radio-collared male frequently travelled between three stable groups, joining them for one to three days at a time. Groups are very quiet, communicating with soft grunting sounds. They are often found in association with Sooty Mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) and respond to the monkeys’ anti-predator warning calls by quickly dispersing and running into thick vegetation or underfallen trees. In the Ivory Coast, an aggressive encounter was observed with a group of Common Cusimanse; four Liberian Mongooses initiated the encounter and displaced the larger group of ten Common Cusimanses by advancing and giving threatening growls.

Breeding. Limited observations suggest that births coincide with the middle of the rainy season (May to September), when invertebrates are probably most available.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable in The IUCN Red List. Listed as Threatened in the 1989 IUCN Action Plan for the Conservation of Mustelids and Viverrids. This species was unknown until recently; it was first described in 1958 from eight skulls and the first live animal was caught in 1989. Possible threats include deforestation from agriculture, logging, and mining. It is heavily hunted for food throughoutits range with dogs, shotguns, and snares, and may also be vulnerable to the heavy use of pesticides in forest plantations, as worms are known to accumulate toxins at levels dangerous to mammalian predators. Although it is found in secondary forests, it is thought that the lack of suitable den sites may restrict its distribution. Field research is urgently required to determine its distribution and to understand the threats facing this species.

Bibliography. Schlitter (1974), Schreiber et al. (1989), Taylor & Dunham (In press).