As the name would imply, this species is the smallest of the African mongooses. There are two species: the common dwarf and the desert dwarf. They are stocky, with a fairly short, pointed muzzle and a long, fluffy tail. Their fur color varies but they are usually speckled brown, reddish, or greyish in color. Forests, open woodlands, thickets, wooded savannahs, semi-arid areas. Wherever there are termites, rock outcroppings, or trees. In some regions of Africa, they are hunted for food.
They are also often persecuted as a pest species because they are egg thieves in regions where their habitat is in close proximity to humans. African Wildlife Foundation brings together communities and private investors to construct conservation tourism lodges, like The Sanctuary at Ole Lentille, in Kenya. The lodge provides sustainable income for the community and the 20,acre conservancy is a safe home to mongooses and a variety of other wildlife.
A dominant female and her male consort, usually the oldest animals in the group, are the leaders of the group. The rest of the group is composed of family members, generally older offspring of the dominant pair. Each year the alpha female produces three litters of young, with two to four infants in each litter.
In the s, sugar cane plantations in Hawaii and the Caribbean islands introduced mongooses to control the rodent population that was overrunning the fields, according to the National Geographic. Unfortunately, this proved counterproductive because the mongooses killed the indigenous animals as well as the rats and posed a threat to native birds by eating their eggs.
Based in London, Eleanor McKenzie has been writing lifestyle-related books and articles since Her articles have appeared in the "Palm Beach Times" and she is the author of numerous books published by Hamlyn U. By using the site, you agree to the uses of cookies and other technology as outlined in our Policy, and to our Terms of Use.
A Typical Mongoose Habitat There are some 30 species of mongoose sharing common characteristics: they're small, fast, carnivorous and work in gangs. Africa The banded mongoose of sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most populous species and therefore not endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Ranging in size from the 7-inch-long dwarf mongoose to the 2-foot-long Egyptian mongoose; these sleek mammals have long bodies with short legs and tapered snouts.
They normally have brown or gray grizzled fur, and a number of species sport striped coats or ringed tails. Mongooses live in burrows and are nondiscriminatory predators, feeding on small animals such as rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, andworms. Some species supplement their diet with fruits, nuts, and seeds. Creative hunters, they are known to break open bird eggs by throwing them with their forepaws toward a solid object. Famously, some species of mongoose will boldly attack venomous snakes such as cobras.
In the s mongooses were introduced to several islands in Hawaii and the West Indies in order to control the rodent populations on sugarcane plantations. Today this effort has come back to haunt these islands as mongooses threaten the survival of various native species, particularly birds. However, in their natural environments mongooses are currently threatened themselves due to habitat loss. All rights reserved. Common Name: Mongooses. Scientific Name: Herpestidae. Their front feet have five digits, with long, curved claws, used for scratching and digging.
Their hind feet have four digits and also have claws, although these claws are shorter, heavier and not as curved as the front claws. They are about inches centimeters long with a inch centimeter long tail. They weigh Banded mongooses are found in Africa, south of the Sahara, except for the Congo and southwestern Africa.
They live in open habitat in grasslands, brush lands, woodlands and rocky country. They have a large range and may travel more than 5 miles a day to forage. They generally stay in one particular den for a few days at a time, a week at most, and will frequently return to favorite sites. While they are able to dig their own burrows, these mongooses will usually use a natural crevice or an existing hole created by another animal.
They have developed a vocabulary of calls to communicate with each other, as well as anal and cheek glands to scent-mark their territory. They may also scent-mark each other after group separation or a mild scare. Banded mongooses are primarily insectivorous but eat a variety of foods, including beetles, crabs, earthworms, fallen fruit, grasshoppers, birds, eggs, rodents, scorpions, slugs, snails, snakes and termites.
To break open hard food objects, such as eggs or snails, they throw the object vertically or backward, between the hind legs and into a stone or other hard object. They are very possessive of food, and when they find food they eat it right away; there is no food sharing.
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