The
scientific name Herpestes was proposed by
Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1811 for mongoose species in the south of the
Old World, commonly called "Ichneumon" at the time. Until 1835, 12 mongoose species from Africa and Asia were classified as belonging to the genus
Herpestes. In 1864,
John Edward Gray listed 22
Herpestes species, which he considered as part of the
Viverridae. In 1882,
Oldfield Thomas reviewed African mongoose
zoological specimens in
natural history museums. He subordinated those into the genus
Herpestes that have nearly naked
soles, four
premolars, small last lower
molars with two external
cusps and whose last upper molars are 40-60% smaller than the last upper premolars. His list comprised eight species in Africa.
St. George Jackson Mivart listed 21
Herpestes species, including seven in Africa and 13 in Asia. He also determined
Herpestes species by the
dentition of mongoose specimens. His criteria included small premolars, small inner cusps of the third upper premolars and transversely extended second upper molars with rather concave posterior margins; their bodies are long with long tails, short legs and five
digits to each paw.
Wallace Christopher Wozencraft recognised 10
Herpestes species as valid in 2005. The extinct
Herpestes lemanensis was excavated in
tertiary depositions in the
Loire Valley in central France and described in 1853. It most likely dates to the
Late Oligocene.
Phylogenetic analysis of African and Asian mongoose specimens revealed that they belong to three distinct
genetic lineages; the two African lineages
diverged in the
Early Miocene around and , and the Asian
Urva lineage at around . The following African mongooses are now placed in the genus
Herpestes: ==References==