Ruddy Mongoose (scientific name: Herpestes smithii) is called "mugatiya" in Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. It is generally considered an untamable animal and a pest. This animal is a mongoose species endemic to Sri Lanka. It is also called "barrel" (hotambuwa) because of its appearance and color.
Red mongooses are primarily forest-dwelling animals, preferring isolated locations. They hunt both during the day and at night, like other mongooses. They climb trees at least occasionally, but apparently spend most of their time on the ground.
Listed by the IUCN as Least Concern due to its widespread distribution, high abundance, and the fact that it is unlikely to decline at a rate approaching that required to qualify for listing in the Threatened category. The impacts of habitat loss and degradation and hunting on the population are unknown, but it is unlikely that the population is declining at a rate sufficient to warrant Near Threatened status. Not only is the species geographically widespread, but it also occurs in a variety of vegetation types from arid regions of the plains of northern and western India to high altitudes (above 2000 m) in southern India and in human-dominated agricultural landscapes. Global populations of the red mongoose do not appear to be under significant threats, including from hunting and trapping by local tribes.
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) 2015 ver3.1 - Least Concern (LC).
Listed in Appendix I, Appendix II and Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2019 Level III.
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