Durrell’s vontsira is a Madagascan mammal in the family Eupleridae of the order Carnivora. It is most closely related to the brown-tailed mongoose, with which it forms the genus Salanoia. The two are genetically similar, but morphologically distinct, leading scientists to recognize them as separate species.
About Durrell’s vontsira in brief
Durrell’s vontsira is a Madagascan mammal in the family Eupleridae of the order Carnivora. It is most closely related to the brown-tailed mongoose, with which it forms the genus Salanoia. The two are genetically similar, but morphologically distinct, leading scientists to recognize them as separate species. Salanoia durrelli was observed swimming in 2004 by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in the Lac Alaotra area, the largest wetlands of Madagascar. It was formally described as Salanoia durrelli in 2010. The specific name, Durrelli, honors Gerald Durrell, a noted conservationist and the founder of the DWCT. S. dorrelli may also be endangered by competition with introduced species.
It may feed on crustaceans and mollusks in the threatened Lac Alaotrensis area. The holotype specimen, a female, the head and body length was 310 mm, the hindfoot length was 8mm long, and the ear length was 66 mm. In the only two weighed specimens, body mass was 600 and 675 g. It is reddish-brown overall, paler than the brown-tailed mongoose. The head and nape are speckled. Most of the tail is similar in color to the body, but the tip is yellowish- brown. The inner side of the well-furred external ear is reddISH-buff. The broad feet are naked below, with the naked skin buff on the forefeet and dark brown on the hindfeet.
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This page is based on the article Durrell’s vontsira published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 30, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
