Abstract
This study documents impacts of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) on a threatened endemic fauna occurring in a biodiversity hotspot within a hotspot, the Hellshire Hills, Jamaica. We analyzed the stomach contents of 217 mongooses and supplemented this information with behavioural observations. The mongoose’s diet consists primarily of invertebrates and lizards, but bird feathers, mammal hair, and a small number of seeds were also recorded. Invertebrates and lizards accounted for 93% of identified prey items. Of special concern were the remains of threatened species such as the recently re-discovered blue-tailed galliwasp (Celestus duquesneyi), indicating that the mongoose may represent a considerable threat to this poorly known taxon. Dietary analyses did not reveal remains of the Critically Endangered Jamaican iguana (Cyclura collei), yet field observations confirmed that the mongoose is a potent predator of hatchling iguanas. Ignoring issues of sample size, this suggests that the analysis of stomach contents alone may mask important demographic impacts attributable to the mongoose (or other predator species). In other words, rare and endangered species may not be detected in diet samples, but the impact of predation may be of demographic significance for effected prey taxa. This study supports previous arguments concerning the negative impact of the mongoose on endemic insular species, and underscores the utility of employing field observations of mongoose foraging behaviour to provide important insights into the conservation implications of predation by non-native predators.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atkinson IAE (1985) The spread of commensal species of Rattus to oceanic islands and their effects on island avifaunas. ICBP Techn Publ 3:35–81
Baldwin PH, Schwartz CW, Schwartz ER (1952) Life history and economic status of the mongoose in Hawaii. J Mammal 33:335–356
Barun A, Budinski I, Simberloff D (2008) A ticking time-bomb? The small Indian mongoose in Europe. Aliens 26:14–16
Basse B, Flux I, Innes J (2003) Recovery and maintenance of North Island kokako (Callaeas cinerea wilsoni) populations through pulsed pest control. Biol Cons 109:259–270
Case TJ, Bolger D (1991) The role of introduced species in shaping the distribution and abundance of island reptiles. Evol Ecol 5:272–290
Cavallini P, Serafini P (1995) Winter diet of the small Indian Mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus, on an Adriatic Island. J Mammal 76:569–574
Coblentz BE, Coblentz BA (1985) Control of H. auropunctatus on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Biol Cons 33:281–288
Cockerell TD (1901) The mongoose in Jamaica. Science 13:990–991
Corke D (1992) The status and conservation needs of the terrestrial herpetofauna of the Windward Islands (West Indies). Biol Cons 62:47–58
Courchamp F, Pascal M, Chapuis J (2003) Mammal invaders on islands: impact, control, and control impact. Biol Rev 78:347–383
Duerden JE (1896) Contributions to the natural history of Jamaica. J Inst Jam 2:288–291
Eisner T (1968) Mongoose and millipedes. Science 160:1367
Eisner T, Davis JA (1967) Mongoose throwing and smashing Millipedes. Science 155:577–579
Engeman RM, Martin RE, Constantin B, Noel R, Woolard J (2003a) Monitoring predators to optimize their management for marine turtle nest protection. Biol Cons 113:171–178
Engeman RM, Shwiff SA, Cano F, Constantin B (2003b) An economic assessment of the potential for predator management to benefit Puerto Rican parrots. Ecol Econ 46:283–292
Espeut WB (1882) On the acclimatisation of the Indian mongoose in Jamaica. Proc Zool Soc Lond 1882:712–714
Gorman ML (1975) The diet of feral Herpestes auropunctatus (Carnivora, Viverridae) in the Fijian Islands. J Zool Lond 175:273–278
Harding EK, Doak DF, Albertson JS (2001) Evaluating the effectiveness of predator control: the non-native red fox as a case study. Cons Biol 15:114–1122
Haynes AM, Sutton RK, Harvey KD (1989) Conservation trends and the threats to endemic birds in Jamaica. In: Woods CA (ed) Biogeography of the West Indies: past, present, and future. Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, pp 827–838
Hays WST, Conant S (2007) Biology and impacts of Pacific island species. 1. A worldwide review of effects of the Small Indian Mongoose, Herpestes javanicus (Carnivora: Herpestidae). Pac Sci 61:3–16
Henderson RW (1992) Consequences of predator introductions and habitat destruction on amphibians and reptiles in the post-Columbus West Indies. Caribb J Sci 28:1–10
Henderson RW, Powell R (2009) Natural history of West Indian reptiles and amphibians. University Press of Florida, Gainesville
Hill RT (1897) Phases in Jamaican natural history. Science 5:15–17
Hoagland DB, Horst GR, Kilpatrick CW (1989) Biogeography and population biology of the mongoose in the West Indies. In: Woods CA (ed) Biogeography of the West Indies: past, present, and future. Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, pp 611–634
Honegger RE (1980) List of amphibians and reptiles either known or thought to have become extinct since 1600. Biol Cons 19:141–158
Horst GR, Hoagland DB, Kilpatrick CW (2001) The mongoose in the West Indies: the biogeography and population biology of an introduced species. In: Woods CA, Sergile FE (eds) Biogeography of the West Indies: patterns and perspectives, 2nd edn. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, pp 409–424
Innes J, Hay R, Flux I, Bradfield P, Speed H, Jansen P (1999) Successful recovery of North Island kokako (Callaeas cinerea wilsoni) populations by adaptive management. Biol Cons 87:201–214
Iverson JB (1978) The impact of feral cats and dogs on a population of the West Indian Rock Iguana, Cyclura carinata. Biol Cons 14:63–73
Johnstone GW (1985) Threats to birds on sub-Antarctic islands. ICBP Techn Publ 3:101–121
Kami HT (1964) Foods of the mongoose in the Hamakua District, Hawaii. Zoonoses Res 3:165–170
Lodge DM (1993) Biological invasions: lessons for ecology. TREE 8:133–137
Lowe S, Browne M, Boudjelas, S, De Poorter M (2000) 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species: a selection from the Global Invasive Species Database. Published by The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) a specialist group of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), 12 pp. First published as special lift-out in Aliens, 12 December 2000. Updated and reprinted version: November 2004
Moorhouse R, Greene T, Dilks P, Powlesland R, Moran L, Taylor G, Jones A, Knegtmans J, Wills D, Pryde M, Fraser I, August A, August C (2003) Control of introduced mammalian predators improves kaka Nestor meridionalis breeding success: reversing the decline of a threatened New Zealand parrot. Biol Cons 110:33–44
Myers JG (1931) A preliminary report on an investigation into the biological control of the West Indian insect pests. Emp Mark Board Lond 42:1–178
Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB, Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. PNAS 102:18497–18501
Nellis DW, Everard COR (1983) The biology of the mongoose in the Caribbean. Stud Fauna Curacao Caribb Islands 64:1–162
Nellis DW, Small V (1983) Mongoose predation on sea turtle eggs and nests. Biotropica 15:159–160
Patou M, Mclenachan PA, Morley CG, Couloux A (2009) Molecular phylogeny of the Herpestidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) with a special emphasis on the Asian Herpestes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 53:69–80
Pemberton CE (1925) The field rat in Hawaii and its control. Hawaii Sugar Planters’ Assoc Exp Station Bull 17:1–46
Pierce RJ, Westbrooke IM (2003) Call count responses of North Island brown kiwi to different levels of predator control in Northland, New Zealand. Biol Cons 109:175–180
Pimentel D (1955) Biology of the Indian Mongoose in Puerto Rico. J Mammal 36:62–68
Powell R, Henderson RW (2005) Conservation status of Lesser Antillean reptiles. Iguana 12:3–17
Raffaele H, Wiley J, Garrido O, Keith A, Raffaele J (1998) A guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, New Jersey
Ricketts TH, Dinerstein E, Boucher T et al (2005) Pinpointing and preventing imminent extinctions. PNAS 102:18497–18501
Roy SS, Jones CG, Harris S (2002) An ecological basis for control of the mongoose Herpestes javanicus in Mauritius: is eradication possible? In: Veitch CR, Clout MN (eds) Turning the tide: the eradication of invasive species. IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, pp 266–273
Schwartz A, Henderson RW (1991) Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies: descriptions, distributions, and natural history. University of Florida Press, Gainesville
Simberloff D, Dayan T, Jones C, Ogura G (2000) Character displacement and release in the small Indian mongoose, Herpestes javanicus. Ecology 81:2086–2099
Smith HR, Remington CL (1996) Food specificity in interspecies competition: comparisons between terrestrial vertebrates and arthropods. Bioscience 46:436–447
Tobin ME (1994) Polynesian rats: damage prevention and control methods. Prevention of wildlife damage. Denver Wildlife Research Center. USDA-APHIS-ADC, Colorado
Tolson PJ (2000) Control of introduced species. In: Alberts A (ed) Status survey and conservation action plan: West Indian Iguanas. West Indian Iguana Specialist Group. World Conservation Union, Gland, pp 86–89
Urich FW (1931) The mongoose in Trinidad. Trop Agric 8:95–97
Veron G, Patou M, Pothet G, Simberloff D, Jennings AP (2007) Systematic status and biogeography of the Javan and small Indian mongooses (Herpestidae, Carnivora). Zoologica Scripta 36:1–10
Vilella FJ (1998) Biology and food habits of the mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) in a rain forest region of Puerto Rico. Biotropica 30:120–125
Vilella FJ, Zwank PJ (1993) Ecology of the small Indian mongoose in a coastal dry forest of Puerto Rico where sympatric with the Puerto Rican nightjar. Caribb J Sci 29:24–29
Vitusek PM (1988) Diversity and biological invasions of oceanic islands. In: Wilson EO (ed) Biodiversity. National Academy Press, Washington DC, pp 181–189
Vogel P (1994) Evidence of reproduction in a remnant population of the endangered Jamaican iguana, Cyclura collei (Lacertilia: Iguanidae). Caribb J Sci 30:234–241
Vogel P, Nelson R, Kerr R (1996) Conservation strategy for the Jamaican iguana, Cyclura collei. In: Powell R, Henderson RW (eds) Contributions to West Indian herpetology: a tribute to Albert Schwartz. Society for the study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Contributions to Herpetology 12, Ithaca, pp 395–406
Walcott GN (1953) Food of the mongoose Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus in St. Croix and Puerto Rico. J Agric Univ Puerto Rico 37:241–247
Watari Y, Takaatsuki S, Miyashita T (2008) Effects of exotic mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) on the native fauna of Amami-Oshima Island, southern Japan, estimated by distribution patterns along the historical gradient of mongoose invasion. Biol Invasions 1:7–17
Watling D (1982) Birds of Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Millwood Press, Wellington
Whittaker AH (1978) The effects of rodents on reptiles and amphibians. In: Dingwall PR, Atkinson IAE, Hays C (eds) The ecology and control of rodents in New Zealand nature reserves. New Zealand Department of Lands and Surveys Information Series 4, Wellington, pp 75–86
Whittaker RJ, Fernandez-Palacios JM (2007) Island biogeography: ecology, evolution, and conservation, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Wiewandt TA (1977) Ecology, behaviour, and management of the Mona Island ground iguana, Cyclura stejnergeri. Ph.D. Dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca
Williams CB (1918) The food of the mongoose in Trinidad. Bull Dep Agric Trinidad Tobago 17:167–168
Wilson BS, van Veen R (2005) Jamaican Iguana Recovery Project, 2005 update. Iguana Specialist Group Newslett 8:4–6
Wilson BS, van Veen R (2008) Update: Jamaican Iguana Recovery Project. Iguana Specialist Group Newslett 11:5
Wilson BS, Vogel P (2000) A survey of the herpetofauna of the Hellshire Hills, Jamaica, including the rediscovery of the blue-tailed galliwasp, Celestus duquesneyi (Grant). Caribb J Sci 36:244–249
Yamada F (2001) Impacts of introduced mongoose on endemic animals and control in Amami Island, Japan. Conference on the eradication of Island invasives: practical actions and results achieved held in Auckland, New Zealand from 19 to 23 February 2001. Invasive Species Specialist Group, World Conservation Union, Gland
Yamada F (2002) Impacts and control of introduced small Indian mongoose on Amami Island, Japan. In: Veitch CR, Clout MN (eds) Turning the tide: the eradication of invasive species. IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, pp 389–392
Yamada F, Sugimara K (2004) Negative impact of an invasive Small Indian Mongoose, Herpestes javanicus, on native wildlife species and evaluation of a control project in Amami-Ohshima and Okinawa Islands, Japan. Global Environ Res 8:117–124
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the Hope Zoo, the National Environment & Planning Agency, the late Mr. Edwin Duffus, and the late Dr. Peter Vogel for help with field work or logistics. We gratefully acknowledge stimulating discussions and reviews by R. Henderson and P. Leighton; their comments and reviews improved the manuscript. Finally, we are indebted to Mr. Rick Hudson of the Fort Worth Zoo, the Miami MetroZoo, Conservation International, the International Iguana Society, and the International Iguana Foundation for generous financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lewis, D.S., van Veen, R. & Wilson, B.S. Conservation implications of small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) predation in a hotspot within a hotspot: the Hellshire Hills, Jamaica. Biol Invasions 13, 25–33 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-010-9781-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-010-9781-0