Abstract

Southeast Asia is rich in small carnivore species, but baseline information on these species is frequently lacking. Many of the region’s remaining forests are degraded, which can drastically change ecosystem function and structure. The Javan mongoose is a small generalist carnivore with a wide distribution across Southeast Asia, whose population, home-range size, and micro-habitat selection are poorly known. We investigated each within a degraded forest fragment in Northeast Thailand using a multimethod approach involving camera trap and radio telemetry data. We found mongoose abundance was positively associated with dry dipterocarp forest (DDF) and has a negative relationship with basal area of small trees (diameter at breast height < 10 cm). Across our entire study site, we found a mean abundance of 1.10 animals per sampling station (SE 0.30 95% CI 0.65–1.92) and within the DDF we found 3.04 animals per station (SE 0.75 95% CI 1.87–4.96). The mean home-range size for two males was 1.86 km² and for one female was 0.27 km². Availability of termite mounds with entry holes was our top model for den site selection. Prey availability did not affect micro-habitat selection by mongoose, presumably due to an even distribution of small mammals across the DDF. Mongoose selected for areas with low numbers of small trees, indicating an avoidance of closed forest environments. Our findings indicate that Javan mongoose select for open dry forest and can tolerate moderate forest degradation.