| Herpestes Temporal range: Oligocene to present
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Egyptian mongoose | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Subfamily: | Herpestinae |
| Genus: | Herpestes Illiger, 1811 |
| Type species | |
| Mustela ichneumon[1] (Linnaeus, 1758)
| |
| Species | |
|
see table | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Herpestes is a genus within the mongoose family Herpestidae. Several species in the family are known as slender mongooses. It is the type genus of the family, and comprises 5-6 living species, each with several subspecies. Fossil remains of three prehistoric species were excavated in France, and described in 1853.