An old illustration of H. f. maccarthiae

Description Cynictis maccarthiae = Herpestes fuscus maccarthiae
Date 1850
Source Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1850 (web)
Author Joseph Wolf (1820–1899) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wolf
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CynictisMaccarthiaeWolf.jpg

The Indian brown mongoose (Herpestes fuscus) looks similar to the short-tailed mongoose from Southeast Asia and is sometimes believed to be only a subspecies of this latter. The Indian brown mongoose is found in southwest India and Sri Lanka. The Indian brown mongoose appears large compared to the other mongoose species in southern Western Ghats. This species has a dark brown body and its legs are noticeably in black colour. The tail length is two third of its body length and more furry than that of the small Indian mongoose. A pointed tail and fur beneath the hind leg help to distinguish this species from others. Order: Carnivora, Subfamily: Herpestinae, Genus: Herpestes, Species: Herpestes fuscus Waterhouse, 1838.