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Helogale hirtula

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA CHORDATA MAMMALIA CARNIVORA HERPESTIDAE

Scientific Name: Helogale hirtula
Species Authority: Thomas, 1904
Common Name/s:
English – Desert Dwarf Mongoose, Ethiopian Dwarf Mongoose, Somali Dwarf Mongoose

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published: 2008
Assessor/s: Kingdon, J., Van Rompaey, J. & Hoffmann, M.
Reviewer/s: Duckworth, J.W. (Small Carnivore Red List Authority) and Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification:
Listed as Least Concern since although poorly known, the species is believed to have a relatively wide distribution, there are no obvious major threats, and it presumably occurs in several protected areas across its range.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description: Patchily distributed in the Horn of Africa region, being present in southern and south-eastern Ethiopia, southern Somalia and northern Kenya (Kingdon and Van Rompaey in press). Laurent and Laurent (2002) recorded this species from Djibouti (though this requires confirmation). A single, uncertain sighting in Mkomazi, Tanzania, might extend the species range into the north-eastern parts of Tanzania (J. Kingdon pers. obs.). They occur up to around 600 m in Ethiopia (Yalden et al. 1980, 1996).
Countries:
Native:
Ethiopia; Kenya; Somalia
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population: Although reliable estimates of their abundance are not available, Somali Dwarf Mongoose are abundant in some localities.
Population Trend: Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology: In Ethiopia, this species is restricted to a zone of bush, thicket and shrubby deciduous woodlands dominated by species of the genera Acacia, Commiphora, Grewia, Cordia, Euphorbia and Sterculia (Kingdon and Van Rompaey in press). Like the Dwarf Mongoose, with which they are broadly sympatric, they use termitaria and stony outcrops as dens.
Systems: Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s): There are not believed to be any major threats to the species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions: This species is present in several protected areas across its range.
Citation: Kingdon, J., Van Rompaey, J. & Hoffmann, M. 2008. Helogale hirtula. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 May 2013.
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