SPATIAL-ORGANIZATION OF THE YELLOW MONGOOSE CYNICTIS-PENICILLATA IN ACOASTAL AREA

Yellow mongooses (Cynictis penicillata) were observed from March to Ma y 1991 in the West Coast National Park, Cape Province, South Africa. T welve mongooses out of a population of 16-19 individuals were captured and marked. Of those, seven adults were radio-tracked. Mongooses were diurnally active and frequented short-grass fields. Home ranges of ma les were about 4 times as large as those of females and encompassed th ose of several females. Overlap was substantial also within sexes, but females based in different dens had nonoverlapping ranges. This patte rn differs substantially from that previously reported for this specie s. Possible reasons for this are discussed.