Expansão do sacarrabos Herpestes ichneumon (Linnaeus, 1758) em Portugal

Abstract

Much recent research has focused on understanding the environmental factors that limit the distribution and abundance of species. Mongoose populations have expanded dramatically in recent decades. In Portugal, during the XXth century, this species was only distributed in the south. However, in the early 1990s, this carnivore started to expand northwards across the Tagus River and recent observations have recorded this species in central and northern Portugal. However, there is a lack of information about its status, distribution and bio-ecology in Portugal and in the new expansion areas. Based on questionnaires, species observations and information from museum collections, we evaluated the recent distribution and status of the Egyptian mongoose in Portugal. Differences between its recent and historical distribution, its evolution through time and possible factors that might affect its distribution were also analysed. Our results show that this species occupies more than half of Portugal and rapidly colonized the north from the south. The evolution of this distribution is well-known, particularly in the last decade of its colonization. This situation can be associated with several factors, such as recent habitat modifications and land-use change, the absence of predators and the ecological plasticity of the Egyptian mongoose.