Possible male coalitions in a solitary mongoose

Abstract

Abstract. Slender mongooses, Herpestes sanguineus, are solitary but males sometimes form loose, non-aggressive associations. Since 1975, sightings of marked animals in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, indicate that (1) up to four males may jointly use the same home range, each of which may overlap the ranges of up to six females but no other males; (2) association membership can be stable for up to 7 years; (3) members of an association generally appear on the study site together as young adults, presumably having immigrated from off the study site; and (4) larger associations have persisted for longer periods. DNA fingerprinting confirms that paternity is not monopolized by any single association member, and that association members can be closely related. These results suggest that associations of male slender mongooses are coalitions that exclude other males from access to females within a common territory. Coalitions have also been reported within other mongoose species; this form of escalated mate competition, which has been generally associated only with certain primates and felids, may be more widely distributed.