THE TAXONOMIC STATUS OF THE AFRICAN MONGOOSES, HERPESTES-SANGUINEUS, H-NIGRATUS, H-PULVERULENTUS AND H-OCHRACEUS (CARNIVORA, VIVERRIDAE)

The small Herpestes mongooses from Africa were examined to determine h ow many ''distinct'' species there are based on craniometric character s. The study involved an examination of skulls and skins in major coll ections in North America, Europe and Africa. These mongooses are sexua lly dimorphic with males approximately nine percent larger than female s. Skulls were measured to the nearest 0.1 mm and the comparisons made using principal components analyses. The slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus) is pan African, occurring south of the Sahara. The Cape gr ey mongoose (H. pulverulentus) occurs in the Cape Province of South Af rica and is sympatric with H. sanguineus in part. H. nigratus occurs i n northern Namibia and is sympatric with H. sanguineus. H. ochraceus o ccurs in Somalia and does not appear to be sympatric with H. sanguineu s. It has a very distinctive skull which is short and wide with inflat ed auditory bullae. Other proposed species of this group of mongooses are not sufficiently distinct to warrant specific separation based on craniometric characters.