The small Indian mongoose is distributed in
Iraq through southeastern
Iran,
Afghanistan,
Pakistan,
India,
Nepal,
Bhutan,
Bangladesh and
Myanmar. It has been introduced to several European countries, islands in the
Caribbean Sea,
Indian and
Pacific Oceans, and on
Okinawa in southern
Japan. It lives at elevations of up to . It was also observed in the
Hammar Marshes. In Iran, it was recorded only in a few localities in the south and east, in particular in
Kerman Province. In Pakistan, it occurs on the
Pothohar Plateau, in
Sialkot District, southeastern
Azad Jammu and Kashmir and in
Margalla Hills National Park. In India, it was observed in forested areas of
Madhya Pradesh, in
Panna Tiger Reserve,
Guna district, and in
Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. In 2016, the
European Commission added the small Indian mongoose to the annual list of invasive and alien species.
Introduction to Caribbean In 1872, nine small Indian mongooses were introduced to
Jamaica from India to control
black (
Rattus rattus) and
brown rats (
R. norvegicus) on
sugarcane plantations. They reproduced within a few months. In the 1800s, sugarcane plantations were established on many Pacific islands such as
Hawaii and
Fiji. Sugarcane attracted
rats, which caused widespread crop failure and loss. Attempts to introduce the small Indian mongoose on
Trinidad in 1870 for the purpose of rat control were not successful. From 1870 onwards, it was introduced to all of the
Greater Antilles islands including
Cuba,
Hispaniola, Jamaica,
Puerto Rico,
Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands to reduce crop damage. This introduction had a negative impact on the native fauna, as populations of
endemic reptiles greatly decreased in number like the
green iguana (
Iguana iguana); the ground lizard (
Ameiva polops) had been eliminated from the island of St. Croix by 1962. Ground-nesting birds, terrestrial
rock iguanas and small mammals like
hutias and
solenodons were likely also affected.
Introduction to Hawaii Offspring from Jamaican small Indian mongooses were shipped to plantations on other islands. However, the mongooses also preyed on native birds that had evolved in the absence of any mammalian predators. The mongooses also raided the nests of
green sea turtles to consume eggs and turtle hatchlings.
Introduction to Okinawa The small Indian mongoose was introduced to
Okinawa Island in 1910 and also to
Amami Ōshima Island in 1979 in an attempt to control the venomous pit viper
Protobothrops flavoviridis and other perceived 'pests'; the mongoose has since become a pest itself. On September 3, 2024, the
Ministry of the Environment announced that the small Indian mongoose had been eradicated from Amami Ōshima.
Introduction to Dalmatian islands The small Indian mongoose was introduced to the
Mljet island in 1910 by order of the
Austro-Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture in an attempt to control the horned viper (
Vipera ammodytes) population. After quarantine, seven males and four females, were released near
Goveđari and introduced to
Korčula,
Pelješac,
Brač and
Šolta between 1921 and 1927, the population of the horned viper decreased significantly in 20 years and the mongooses started preying more on
resident and
migratory birds, and also on domestic
poultry. Around 1970, the mongoose inhabited
Hvar and spread rapidly. It did not survive on Brač and Šolta, but it did appear on
Čiovo. The mongoose is considered
vermin, but neither the
bounties offered nor the introduction of
wild boars to the island helped to reduce the population. == Behaviour and ecology ==