16 November 2016

Info needed- Slender Mongoose and Littledale’s Whistling Rat

Hi everyone!

We’re visiting Kgalagadi and Namibia’s coast December and I have a few questions. I hope someone can help!

I would like to know where exactly does the Kaokoveld Slender Mongoose (Herpestes flavescens) occur and how do they differ from the normal Slender Mongoose (H. sanguineus)? Is the Slender Mongoose of Kgalagadi H. flavescens of H. sanguineus? I know the colour of those I’ve seen in Kgalagadi is different from those in Kruger. If the Kaokoveld Slender Mongoose don’t occur in Kgalagadi, where can they be seen alternatively?

I’ve read something about Littledale’s Whistling Rat near Swakopmund on the Namibia page of this website and tried to contact the person through the contract details there but I don’t get any response. If any of you have info on them please let me know.

If anyone can provide advice on where to find Hartmann Mountain Zebra in Namib Naukluft National Park please comment!

If you have any tips on other interesting mammalsites near Walvisbaai, Hentie’s Bay or Swakopmund let me know!

Hamman Prinsloo
South Africa

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6 Comments

  • 17 November 2016
    Chris Roche

    Hi Hamman
    H sanguineus is the Kgalagadi mongoose. Obviously much more richly coloured than the lowveld/Kruger version but regarded as the same species.
    H flavescens is the Kaokoveld/Iona mongoose. Sometimes black, but otherwise a variety of ‘earth colours’. In work we provided funding for it was limited in locality to rocky outcrops and associated with dassie rats (on which it no doubt preys). It was previously regarded as a subspecies of H. sanguineus, and then as Galerella nigrata but now a separate species.

    See something on genetics here: http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:255073
    See something on ecology/diet here: http://repository.unam.edu.na/handle/11070/432

  • 17 November 2016
    Chris Roche

    sorry – distribution for H flavescens in Namibia is essentially Kaokoveld (i.e. from Kunene River in the north, south into northern Damaraland), and even south of this to Erongo near Omaruru. It also occurs further east to the south of Etosha.
    In Angola it extends through Iona NP northwards past Namibe.

    on your trip it sounds like the best bet is going to be around Omaruru in the Erongo Mountains.

  • 17 November 2016
    Chris Roche

    lastly … I’ve seen Hartmann’s mountain zebra while driving between Sossusvlei and the Kuiseb Canyon in a couple of places but can’t give better gen than that. In Walvis and anywhere off the coast there look for the triangular dorsal fin of Heaviside’s dolphin.

  • 17 November 2016
    Charles Foley

    I saw mountain zebra on the main road about 5 km out of Sossusvlei in April. They were in the same place for 3 consecutive days, so I don’t think they’re too difficult to find.

  • 17 November 2016
    Vladimir Dinets

    We saw the mongoose near the SW entrance to Etosha, but it’s one of very few records in the area. Our guide at Brandberg said that slender mongooses were very common there. She didn’t know the species and we didn’t see any, but the habitat was typical for H. flavescens and there were lots of dassie rats.

    MZ’s in NNNP move around a lot; you best bet is probably to ask at the park office about recent sightings. Gondwana Canyon is much more reliable.

  • 23 November 2016
    Hamman Prinsloo

    Thanks for everyone’s replies! Appreciate it!

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