| Latin Name |
Mungos mungo |
| Conservation Status |
Least Concern |
| Location
| Africa |
| Colour |
Brown |
| Length |
30 - 45 cms (12 - 18 inches) |
| Tail |
15 - 30 cms (6 - 12 inches) |
| Weight |
1.5 - 2.5 Kgs (3.25 - 5.5 lbs) |
| Life Expectancy |
Up to 12 Yrs (in Captivity) |
Main Characteristics
Banded Mongoose are a sturdy species of mongoose. They have a body length between 30 and 45 cms (12 - 18 inches), a tail length between 15 and 30 cms (6 - 12 inches) and the weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 kgs (3.25 - 5.5 lbs).
They have a large head with small ears, a long tail and short muscular limbs. Their fur is brown in colour and they have several dark brown/black stripes on their back and down the sides of their body.
Habitat
Banded Mongoose can be found on open savannahs, open forests and grasslands in Africa. They live in mixed sex groups of 7 - 40 individuals and they all share a den which is quite often an old termite mound.
Diet
Banded Mongoose mainly feed on invertebrates including insects, centipedes, lizards, snakes and frogs. They also eat roots, fruit, eggs and small rodents.
Breeding
After a gestation period of 60 - 70 days, females give birth to 2 - 5 pups. All the females in the group usually give birth on the same day. During their first 4 weeks the youngsters are kept underground during which time they are watched over by 1 - 3 adults.
After 4 weeks the pups are allowed to go on foraging trips but each one is accompanied by an "escort" to help them find food and protect them from danger. At 3 months old the youngsters become nutritionally independent.
Predators
Predators of banded mongoose include wild dogs, jackals, hyenas, snakes and birds of prey.
Subspecies
Subspecies of the Banded Mongoose are:
Mungos mungo adailensis
Mungos mungo bororensis
Mungos mungo caurinus
Mungos mungo colonus
Mungos mungo grisonax
Mungos mungo mandjarum
Mungos mungo marcrurus
Mungos mungo mungo
Mungos mungo ngamiensis
Mungos mungo pallidipes
Mungos mungo rossi
Mungos mungo senescens
Mungos mungo somalicus
Mungos mungo talboti
Mungos mungo zebra
Mungos mungo zebroides
Interesting Facts
Banded Mongoose have been seen removing ticks from Warthogs in Kenya and Uganda. This symbiotic relationship benefits both species, the Banded Mongoose feed while the warthogs are cleaned. |
