The distribution of the Egyptian Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon (L.) in Portugal

Borralho, Rui; Rego, Felipe N. A. A.; Palomares, Francisço; Hora, A. M.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.1996.tb00143.x

Cited by 31 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Mismatch analysis did not detect a signature of demographic expansion, despite field data indicating recent range fluctuations (Delibes, 1982; Palacios et al. , 1992; Borralho et al. , 1996; Gragera, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Comparative phylogeography of two African carnivorans presumably introduced into Europe: disentangling natural versus human-mediated dispersal across the Strait of Gibraltar

Gaubert

Machordom

Morales

et al. 2010

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Natural processes of colonization and human-mediated introductions have shaped current patterns of biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin. We use a comparative phylogeographic approach to investigate the genetic structure of Herpestes ichneumon and Genetta genetta (Carnivora) across the Strait of Gibraltar, and test for their supposedly contemporaneous introduction into Iberia.Location Mediterranean Basin and Africa.Methods We sequenced two mitochondrial fragments (cytochrome b and control region) of 91 (H. ichneumon) and 185 (G. genetta) individuals, including the sole archaeological record of G. genetta in Iberia, dating from the Muslim occupation. We used phylogenetic and tokogenetic methods, summary statistics, neutrality tests, geographic-genetic pairwise comparisons and coalescent estimates to explore the history of the two species in the Mediterranean Basin. ResultsIn North Africa, an autochthonous (Clade I) and a western African mtDNA clade, coalescing in the Middle to Late Pleistocene, co-occurred in both species. Only Clade I was present in Europe. In H. ichneumon, the European pool showed deep coalescence (median = 335 kyr) and high genetic differentiation and diversity compared with its North African counterpart, suggesting long-term stability of female effective population size. In sharp contrast, G. genetta in Europe exhibited lower genetic diversity, weak differentiation with North Africa and recent demographic expansion; however, Andalusia and Catalonia (Spain) showed distinctly higher genetic diversity, and the archaeological specimen had the predominant European haplotype. Main conclusionsThe co-occurrence of autochthonous and sub-Saharan lineages in North Africa (1) supports a new, emerging biogeographic scenario in North Africa, and (2) suggests a connection through the Sahara, possibly from the Middle Pleistocene onwards. Our results refute the idea that H. ichneumon was introduced into Europe contemporaneously with G. genetta. Instead, they support a scenario of sweepstake dispersal during Late Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations, followed by long-term in situ evolution throughout the last glaciation cycles. Genetta genetta appears to have undergone a recent spread from at least two independent introduction '

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Comparative phylogeography of two African carnivorans presumably introduced into Europe: disentangling natural versus human-mediated dispersal across the Strait of Gibraltar

Gaubert

Machordom

Morales

et al. 2010

Journal of Biogeography

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“…The Egyptian mongoose is an African mesocarnivore that invaded Europe in the nineteenth century (Delibes 1982;Dobson 1998). This species' northern-most distribution range includes the Iberian Peninsula (Mitchell-Jones et al 1999) where it is still expanding its range (Borralho et al 1996;Palomo and Gisbert 2002). Northwestern populations, which include the study area, are not sexually dimorphic in relation to macrobiometrics (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Sex-driven differences in Egyptian mongoose’s (Herpestes ichneumon) diet in its northwestern European range

et al. 2009

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Sexual dimorphism in carnivores can result from, or induce, variations in diet and foraging behaviour between individuals of different sexes. Sex-driven behavioural changes in feeding habits may also result in a reduction in intraspecific competition for resources, avoiding dietary overlap by concentrating on different prey sizes/types. We therefore evaluated the variation in feeding habits of both males and females of an invasive and range expanding southern European carnivore, the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), through gut content analysis of road or predator-control killed animals. The analysis of 59 gut samples, collected in Portugal, revealed that northwestern populations of mongooses prey mostly upon mammals [especially lagomorphs, percentage of biomass (PB)=44%], reptiles (PB=28%) and arthropods (PB=2% but percentage of occurrence=35%). However, females seem to focus mainly on reptiles (PB=51%) and mammals (PB=38%), whilst males consume mostly mammals (PB=75%). The results suggest that this variation maybe a result of sexual dimorphism (since some variation is documented in a few Egyptian mongoose's skull measures, namely condylobasal length and canine diameter), with males shifting their diets to prey from which they can obtain more energy. Females seem to be focused on predating lighter animals, probably females or juveniles, a fact that has important game management implications.

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“…The earliest remains of common genet in Europe date to the Middle Ages (Dobson 1998) and the first records of Egyptian mongoose are from the latest 1800s (Delibes 1982). Presently, the common genet is distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula and south of France (Livet andRoeder 1987, Calzada 2002), whereas the Egyptian mongoose is limited to the SW of the Iberian Peninsula (Delibes 1982, Borralho et al 1996, Palomares 2002.…”

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confidence: 99%

Trophic niche partitioning between two native and two exotic carnivores in SW Portugal

2007

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Abstract. The introduction of exotic species is one of the most pervasive consequences of the increased human mobility. The most known negative effects are the decrease or extinction of natives. The common-genet, Genetta genetta, and the Egyptian mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon, were introduced in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th and 19th centuries, respectively. The competitive exclusion principle defines that two ecologically similar species cannot coexist. Thus, some degree of partitioning has to occur in species realized niche, which can occur at the trophic level. To test this hypothesis of partitioning we compared the diet of these two exotic species with that of two native species (stone marten, Martes foina, and red fox, Vulpes vulpes). The results show a high degree of overlap (>45%) between the diets of species similar in their feeding strategies (arboreal and ground feeding). Nonetheless, at the finer scale of prey consumed at the species level some differences are found between the native and exotic species. These results suggest that if coexistence is due to trophic niche partitioning it only occurs at the level of the consumed species. However, coexistence may also be due to a combination of different strategies (home-range size, time and space use) that structured the different realized niches of each species.

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The distribution of the Egyptian Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon (L.) in Portugal

Cited by 31 publications

References 10 publications

Comparative phylogeography of two African carnivorans presumably introduced into Europe: disentangling natural versus human-mediated dispersal across the Strait of Gibraltar

Comparative phylogeography of two African carnivorans presumably introduced into Europe: disentangling natural versus human-mediated dispersal across the Strait of Gibraltar

Sex-driven differences in Egyptian mongoose’s (Herpestes ichneumon) diet in its northwestern European range

Trophic niche partitioning between two native and two exotic carnivores in SW Portugal

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