Feeding habits of the Egyptian mongoose or Ichneumon in Spain

We have analysed 83 gut contents and 105 faeces of Herpestes ichneumon (Linnaeus, 1758), the only mongoose in Europe. Samples come of the whole range of the species in Spain. The basis of the diet is of animal origin, mainly rabbits (which occur in 77% of the samples) and reptiles (45%). Also, birds and eggs, amphibians, fish, insects, other invertebrates, carrion, berries and mushrooms are consumed. Prey weight varies from a few tenths of a gram to one or two kilograms, but prey weighing 128—512 gr seem to be preferred. A sexual dimorphism in diet does not exist, even though males on average weigh 20% more than females. There is a statistically greater consumption of reptiles in Spring-Summer. The food changes locally according to prey availability. We conclude that: 1. The Egyptian mongoose is a generalist predator of animals living on or under the ground. 2. Availability of young rabbits and reptiles around the year limits the range of the species in Europe. 3. The rudimentary sociality of this mongoose could be related with cooperative hunting. 4. The ichneumon differs of other carnivores in Mediterranean Spain because of its diurnal habits and the important role of reptiles in its diet.