Black-footed mongoose

Black-footed mongoose
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Herpestidae
Subfamily:	Herpestinae
Genus:	Bdeogale
Species:	B. nigripes
Binomial name
Bdeogale nigripes Pucheran, 1855[2]
Black-footed mongoose range

The black-footed mongoose (Bdeogale nigripes) is a species of mongoose found in central Africa. Unlike most similar species, the black-footed mongoose has only 4 toes on each limb rather than 5.^[3] The black-footed mongoose is closely related to Jackson's mongoose, which is of the same subgenus Galeriscus and are sometimes considered conspecific. ^[4] The black-footed mongoose inhabits the tropical belt from east Nigeria to north-east Zaire and to north Angola.

An important part of the black-footed mongooses diet is mainly insectivorous, but it also includes rodents.^[5]

References

1. Van Rompaey, H. & Hoffmann, M. (2008). Bdeogale nigripes. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 22 March 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
2. Bdeogale Nigripes at ZipCodeZoo
3. "Mongoose - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 31 October 2009.
4. Perez, M., Li, B., Tillier, A., Cruaud, A., & Veron, G. (2006). Systematic relationships of the bushy-tailed and black-footed mongooses (genus Bdeogale, Herpestidae, Carnivora) based on molecular, chromosomal and morphological evidence. J Zoological System Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 44(3), 251-259. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.2006.00359.x
5. J., R., & M., S. (2001). Trophic relations in a community of African rainforest carnivores. Oecologia, 127(3), 395-408. doi:10.1007/s004420000604.