# List of herpestids > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/List_of_herpestids > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/List_of_herpestids.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_herpestids > Source revision: 1354749961 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) [Herpestidae](/source/Herpestidae) is a [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) of [mammals](/source/Mammal) in the [order](/source/Order_(biology)) [Carnivora](/source/Carnivora), composed of the mongooses and the [meerkat](/source/Meerkat). A member of this family is called a mongoose or a herpestid. They are widespread primarily throughout Africa and south Asia, and are found primarily in forests, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands, though some species can be found in wetlands or deserts. Most mongooses are 30–60 cm (12–24 in) long, plus a 20–40 cm (8–16 in) tail, though the [Ethiopian dwarf mongoose](/source/Ethiopian_dwarf_mongoose) can be as small as 18 cm (7 in) plus a 12 cm (5 in) tail, and the [white-tailed mongoose](/source/White-tailed_mongoose) can be up to 104 cm (41 in) plus a 47 cm (14 in) tail. Most species do not have population estimates, though one, the [Liberian mongoose](/source/Liberian_mongoose), is classified as [vulnerable](/source/Vulnerable_species) with a population size of around 5,000. No herpestid species have been domesticated. The 34 species of Herpestidae are split into 14 [genera](/source/Genus) within 2 [subfamilies](/source/Subfamily): Herpestinae, comprising 23 [extant](/source/Extant_taxon) species that are native to southern Europe, Africa and Asia, and Mungotinae, comprising 11 extant species native to Africa. Extinct species have also been placed into both subfamilies, though some older extinct species have not been categorized into a subfamily. Around ten extinct Herpestidae species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed. Herpestidae is believed to have diverged from the existing [Feliformia](/source/Feliformia) suborder around 21.8 million years ago in the [Early Miocene](/source/Early_Miocene).[1] ## Conventions The [author citation](/source/Author_citation_(zoology)) for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Conservation status codes listed follow the [International Union for Conservation of Nature](/source/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature) (IUCN) [Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List). Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the herpestid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. ## Classification The family Herpestidae consists of 34 [extant](/source/Extant_taxon) species belonging to 15 genera in 2 subfamilies and divided into dozens of subspecies. This does not include [hybrid species](/source/Hybrid_(biology)) or extinct prehistoric species. - Subfamily Herpestinae - Genus *[Atilax](/source/Atilax)*: one species - Genus *[Bdeogale](/source/Bdeogale)*: three species - Genus *[Cynictis](/source/Cynictis)*: one species - Genus *[Herpestes](/source/Herpestes)*: five species - Genus *[Ichneumia](/source/Ichneumia)*: one species - Genus *[Paracynictis](/source/Paracynictis)*: one species - Genus *[Rhynchogale](/source/Rhynchogale)*: one species - Genus *[Urva](/source/Urva_(genus))*: nine species - Genus *[Xenogale](/source/Xenogale)*: one species - Subfamily Mungotinae - Genus *[Crossarchus](/source/Crossarchus)*: four species - Genus *[Dologale](/source/Dologale)*: one species - Genus *[Helogale](/source/Helogale)*: two species - Genus *[Liberiictis](/source/Liberiictis)*: one species - Genus *[Mungos](/source/Mungos)*: two species - Genus *[Suricata](/source/Suricata)*: one species ## Herpestids The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by *Mammal Species of the World* (2005), with augmentation by proposals accepted by the [American Society of Mammalogists](/source/American_Society_of_Mammalogists) since using [molecular phylogenetic analysis](/source/Molecular_phylogenetics).[2][3] ### Subfamily Herpestinae Main article: [Herpestinae](/source/Herpestinae) ### Subfamily Mungotinae Main article: [Mungotinae](/source/Mungotinae) ## References 1. Patou, M.; Mclenachan, P. A.; Morley, C. G.; Couloux, A.; Jennings, A. P.; Veron, G. (2009). "Molecular phylogeny of the Herpestidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) with a special emphasis on the Asian *Herpestes*". *[Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution](/source/Molecular_Phylogenetics_and_Evolution)*. **53** (1): 69–80. [Bibcode:2009MolPE..53...69P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009MolPE..53...69P). [doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.038](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.038). [PMID 19520178](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19520178) 1. ["Explore the Database"](https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html). *www.mammaldiversity.org*. Retrieved 2021-07-08. 1. Rapson, S.; Goldizen, A. W.; Seddon, J. M. (August 2012). "Species boundaries and possible hybridization between the black mongoose (*Galerella nigrata*) and the slender mongoose (*Galerella sanguinea*)". *[Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution](/source/Molecular_Phylogenetics_and_Evolution)*. **65** (3): 831–839. [Bibcode:2012MolPE..65..831R](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012MolPE..65..831R). [doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.08.005](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.08.005). [PMID 22940151](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22940151) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [List of herpestids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_herpestids) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_herpestids?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.