Immobilization and marking of the Egyptian Mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon (L.) in Spain

Immobiliza ion and ma king o he Egyp ian Mongoose, He pes es ichneumon (L.), in Spain By J. F. BELTRAN, M. DELIBES and C. IBAREz Es ación Biológica de Doñana, Se illa, Spain Recei s o Ms. 29.4. 1985 Ma king mongooses has p o ed o be di icul . RooD and NELLI5 (1980) succeed in ma king dwa mongooses (Helogale pa ula) and small Indian mongooses (He pes es au opunc a us) by locally eezing hei skins wi h dichlo odi luo me hane. This p oduces whi e pa ches o hai ha las he animal’s li e span, Howe e , BEN-YAAcOV and Y0M-To (1983) ailed o ma k Egyp ian mongooses (He pes es ichneumon) by se e al p ocedu es ( eeze ma king, neck colla s, ea ags, dyeing, e c). He e we epo he cap u e, immobili- za ion and success ul adio- agging o wo adul Egyp ian mongooses (male and emale) in he Donana Na ional Pa k, SW Spain To ca ch he male we used a li e ap bai ed wi h d y ish. The emale was cap u ed in a bigge ap se o lynxes and bai ed wi h a li e abbi . Bo h indi iduals we e immobilized by means o a combina ion o ke amine hyd ochlo ide (Ke ola , Pa ke Da is, El P a de Llob ega ) and iazine hyd ochlo ide (Rompün, Baye , Ba celona) injec ed in amuscu- la ly. The male weighed 3050 g and was immobilized wice in one week. The i s ime we used a dose o 20mg o Ke ola and 20mg o Rompün ( ha is, unde 7mg o each p oduc pe kg o body weigh ). Induc ion ime (IT) equi ed o o al immobiliza ion was ou minu es. Two hou s la e his indi idual, p o ided wi h he colla , was appa en ly eco e ed. The animal ‘Was anes he ized again a e se en days o obse e possible inju ies p oduced by he colla . On his occasion we used a lowe ini ial dose o Ke ola (10mg) and Rompün (16 mg). As he animal was s ill in ac able wen y minu es la e , an addi ional dose o 6 mg o each p oduc was adminis e ed . The IT was hen simila o ha obse ed in he i s immobiliza ion. One hou la e he animal was able o mo e bu o al mo o con ol was only eco e ed 2 h 15mm a e he injec ion o he i s dose. A neck inspec ion e ealed no inju ies. The emale weighed 2200 g and a dose o 15mg o Ke ola and 15mg o Rompün (7 mgI kg) was su icien o immobilize i . The IT was 2 minu es and h ee hou s la e he mongoose began o mo e. I s body empe a u e dec eased om 39.5 °C (in he i s minu es a e he injec ion) o 35.9 °C (45 minu es be o e he i s ecupe a ion mo e- men s). The male was p o ided wi h a whi e home-made adio-colla based on a SB2-IV ansmi e (AVM Ins umen Co., Cali o nia) i ed o i s neck by a nylon-plas ic-bel wo cen ime e s wide, A gui a s ing ac ing as an an enna lay loosely on he animal’s back. The comple e de ice weighed 90 g (3 % o he animal weigh ). E en i neck hai s co e ed he colla , i allowed ield inden i ica ion. The mongoose was kep in cap i i y o se en days o obse e i s eac ions. Du ing his ime no a emp s o pull he adio-colla ou we e obse ed, This indi idual was acked om 14 h July o 14 h Augus 1983. Radio con ac was hen los . I s home ange (es ima ed by he minimum con ex polygon me hod) was 2.8 squa e kilome e s and he mean a eled dis ance pe day 2.9 km ( ange = 0.62—6.42). U.S. Copy igh Clea ance Cen e Code S a emen : 0044-3468/85/5004-0243 $ 02.50/0 Z. Sauge ie kunde 50 (1985) 243—244 © 1985 Ve lag Paul Pa ey, Hambu g und Be lin ISSN 0044-3468 I In e Code: ZSAEA 7 244 1. F. Bel án, M. Delibes and C. Ibánez Ac i i y was diu nal. I was obse ed ea ing om a abbi and mo ing wi h ano he adul wi h young (DELIBE5 and BELTRAN 1986). A adio-colla weighing 60 g (less han 3 % o he animal weigh ) and shipped by Wildli e Ma e ials Inc. (1llinois) was i ed o he emale. The paãkage and he nylon bel (1.5cm wide) we e black and inden i ica ion o he animal in he ield was di icul e en hough he an enna was ed and whi e. This animal was acked om 13 h No embe 1984 o 9 h Janua y 1985. On his da e i was ound dead in a bu ow unde a dense hicke . Au opsy showed nume ous blood punc u es unde he skin bu no he ac ual cause o he dea h. A i s analysis o he adio- acking da a e eals a home ange close o 1.6 squa e kilome e s and only diu nal ac i i y. To conclude, i s da a sugges ha neck colla s applied o mongooses a e no pulled ou , do no p oduce inju ies, do no modi y i s gene al habi s and do allow he ecogni ion o he animal. The e o e hey could be a sui able me hod o ma king Egyp ian mongooses and o he He pes inae. To de e mine whe he he beha iou o hese diu nal mammals endowed wi h colou ision (BUcKER 1957) as a ec ed by colou ed colla s is a ques ion ha we ailed o sol e du ing his sho pe iod o adio- acking. We hank R. LAFFITTE o help in ield wo k and L. FIsHER o help in manusc ip ansla ion. This s udy was suppo ed by he CSIC-CAICYT (subp ojec numbe 944; 1985—1987). Re e ences BEN-YAAKO , R. Y0M-To , Y. (1983): On he biology o he Egyp ian Mongoose, He pes es ichneumon, in Is ael. Z. Sauge ie kunde 48, 34—45. DELIBE5, M.; BELTRAN, J. F. (1986): Ac i i y, daily mo emen s and home ange o an Ichneumon o Egyp ian Mongoose (He pes es ichneu non) in Sou he n Spain. J. Zool., Lond. in p ess). DOcKER, G. (1957): Fa b- und Helligkei ssehen und Ins ink e bei Vi e iden und Felideo. Zool. Bei . (NF) 3, 25—99. Roon, J. P.; NELLI5, D. W. (1980): F eeze ma king Mongooses. J. WildL. Manage. 44, 500—502. Au ho ’s add ess: JUAN FRANcIsco BELTRAN, MIGUEL Da e s and CARLO5 IaM’Ez. Es ación Biológica de Doñana, Apa ado 1056, E-41080 Se illa, Spain