The small Indian mongoose has been introduced into several important hotspots of biodiversity and is considered the wild carnivore with the greatest negative impact on autochthonous ecosystems. Understanding the introduction and dispersal history of the species is crucial in any effort to conserve global biodiversity. We investigated the genetic structure and diversity of the small Indian mongoose, with a focus on the Caribbean region, using genetic data from 496 individuals. We performed molecular genetic analyses using two mitochondrial and eleven newly designed microsatellite markers. We compared our results with historical records and scenarios inferred from the literature. Consistent with historical records, molecular results suggest multiple introduction events into Jamaica from India, as well as the subsequent introduction of the species from Jamaica into Grenada and Puerto Rico. Our results also suggest new scenarios for other introduced populations. For instance, the introduction history of the species into Guadeloupe may be more complex than previously thought, sharing a common origin with the populations of Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana. In addition, microsatellite data reveal a strong structuration of the populations within the West Indian islands, including nearby islands within the Guadeloupean archipelago, highlighting the lack of dispersal events between islands after the initial introductions. Conversely, the absence of structure inside each island indicates the high dispersal ability of the small Indian mongoose within these islands. These results and the newly developed microsatellite markers represent valuable tools to identify the origin of potential new introductions.

小印度猫鼬已被引入生物多样性的几个重要热点，被认为是对本土生态系统产生最大负面影响的野生食肉动物。了解该物种的引入和传播历史对于保护全球生物多样性的任何努力都至关重要。我们使用来自 496 个人的遗传数据调查了小型印度猫鼬的遗传结构和多样性，重点是加勒比地区。我们使用两个线粒体和十一个新设计的微卫星标记进行分子遗传分析。我们将我们的结果与从文献中推断出的历史记录和情景进行了比较。与历史记录一致，分子结果表明有多次从印度传入牙买加的事件，以及随后将该物种从牙买加引入格林纳达和波多黎各。我们的结果还为其他引入的人群提出了新的方案。例如，该物种引入瓜德罗普岛的历史可能比以前想象的更复杂，与牙买加、特立尼达和圭亚那的种群有着共同的起源。此外，微卫星数据揭示了西印度群岛（包括瓜德罗普群岛附近的岛屿）内人口的强烈结构，突出表明在最初引入后岛屿之间缺乏扩散事件。相反，每个岛屿内部没有结构表明小印度猫鼬在这些岛屿内具有很高的传播能力。