Rodent?

Hi, Just wondering if anyone can identify this animal?

Posted July 2, 2015 1:06 PM

by Quia moderator

Well, it's not a rodent. Even the giant pouched rats we see aren't that big! I swear I've seen that weird gait walking away in the dark before, it was a much darker and further away video though, so no help there.

Any guesses? The build is somewhat catlike, though the gait is really odd for a cat.

Posted July 2, 2015 5:04 PM

by jwidness moderator

Darn, I was hoping I was missing the obvious and someone else would have an easy answer ; )

It really does look familiar, but I don't know....

Posted July 2, 2015 5:34 PM

by MimiA scientist, moderator

To me civet seems the best match - what would arguments against civet be?

Posted July 2, 2015 10:26 PM

by Quia moderator

Hrmm... to me it looks bigger than an african civet, and it has none of the usual body markings, the body looks unmarked or very lightly marked, and that all dark tail is especially odd. I don't think there's another large civet species in the area?

Posted July 3, 2015 1:23 AM

by jwidness moderator

I don't think it looks like a civet either, mainly because of the lack of markings, but also because the gait doesn't look right for a civet to me. Compare it to this video of a civet walking away: ACP00020uu

Posted July 3, 2015 5:06 AM

by NuriaM scientist, moderator

I am thinking of Long-snouted mongoose (Herpestes naso)...it´s one of the biggest Mongooses (after the Black-legged mongoose). They are dark, have relatively long legs, thick and black tail.

its geographical distribution makes me doubt though... 😦

Posted July 3, 2015 8:50 AM

by jwidness moderator

I think it might be a mongoose -- see http://talk.chimpandsee.org/#/boards/BCP000000e/discussions/DCP000017t
-- but the distribution of long-nosed mongoose makes me doubt it's the right one

Posted July 3, 2015 2:40 PM

by MimiA scientist, moderator

Very good detective work guys - mongoose seems likely - in muddy frost we could have: Gambian mongoose, Liberian mongoose, slender mongoose or marsh mongoose (my vote goes here),

Posted July 3, 2015 3:02 PM

by jwidness moderator

I looked at all the mongoose species present at muddy frost, but I'm not really sure what to think. To me, it looks like most of the mongooses we see here are marsh mongoose, but this one looks different.

Posted July 3, 2015 11:13 PM

by rlb66

Prime suspect: Image ACP0004psb

Other of interest: Image ACP0004pt3 and Image ACP0004ptf (same day, 4 minutes difference)

Posted July 4, 2015 5:13 PM

by NuriaM scientist, moderator

thanks @rlb66xyz , nice collection!

I think it´s getting clearer now...I vote for Marsh Mongoose 😃

Posted July 6, 2015 11:28 AM

by AnLand moderator