Herpestes auropunctatus (Hodgson 1836) Native to the southern and southeastern regions of Asia, the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), has been introduced to many islands worldwide for the biological control of rats and snakes, mainly in tropical areas, but also to islands in the Adriatic Sea. It has been introduced successfully in two continental areas: the northeast coast of South America and a Croatian peninsula. Presence Percent Mongooses are diurnal generalist carnivores that thrive in human-altered habitats. Predation by mongoose has had severe impacts on native biodiversity leading to the decline and extirpation of native Graph showing the effect of the mongoose - a predatory mammal introduced by mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. In most cases farmers in 1872 - on native Caribbean lizards. Credit: Blair Hedges, Penn State University the native wildlife in these areas evolved in the absence of predatory mammals so they are particularly threatened by mongoose predation. At least seven species of native vertebrates, including The Critically Endangered (CR)’ and ‘Possibly Extinct’ Jamaica mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, have almost petrel (Pterodroma caribbaea) suffered drastic decline in disappeared on Amami-oshima Island since the introduction numbers in the 19th century presumably due to predation by of the mongoose in 1979. The mongoose has been shown to mongoose (capable of taking incubating adults) and rats. have a strong negative effect on the ‘Endangered (EN)’ Amami In the Caribbean, mongooses prey on the CR Hawksbill turtle rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) (Eretmochelys imbricata) eggs in fragmented beach habitats. Analysis of collection records indicates that the loss or decline Trapping around vulnerable beaches led to much greater of 14 Neotropical skink species in the Caribbean islands can breeding success for the turtles. be attributed to predation by the small Indian mongoose. The Mongooses on Mauritius have been blamed for the extirpation ground-dwelling and diurnal habits of skinks have made them of introduced game birds and the decline of endemic species particularly susceptible to mongoose predation (Hedges & such as the ‘Endangered (EN)’ pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri). Conn 2012). References: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. [link] ISSG 2012. Global Invasive Species Database [link] S. Blair Hedges & Caitlin E. Conn (2012) A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands Click here to view archives of previous weeks’ species (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae) Zootaxa 3288: 1–244 (2012).