| Latin Name |
Galerella sanguinea |
| Conservation Status |
Least Concern |
| Location
| Africa |
| Colour |
Various (see below) |
| Length |
27.5 - 40 cm (11 - 16 inches) |
| Tail |
23 - 33 cm (9 - 13 inches) |
| Weight |
460 - 715 g (16 - 25 oz) |
| Life Expectancy |
10 Yrs |
Main Characteristics
The Slender Mongoose is a very common species of mongoose. They have a body length between 27.5 and 40 cms (11 - 16 inches), a tail length between 23 and 33 cms (9 - 13 inches) and they weigh between 460 and 715 g (16 - 25 oz).
The colour of their fur varies greatly between the different subspecies from dark reddish/brown to an orange/brown, yellow and grey, and they often appear speckled. They have a prominent black or red tip at the end of their tail.
Their body is long and slender, they have short legs and males tend to be larger than females. They are active during the day but if there is sufficient moonlight they will also hunt at night. They readily climb trees, unlike other mongoose species.
Habitat
Slender Mongoose are found on the savannah and semi-arid plans of sub-sahara Africa. They live alone or in pairs and they are non territorial, although they will maintain a home range that is overlapped by those of others.
They have a den that is in a sheltered area such as a hollow log or a crevice between rocks and they may share their dens with other species.
Diet
The Slender Mongoose feeds upon insects, snakes, lizards, birds, rodents, amphibians, carrion, eggs and occasionally fruit.
Breeding
Slender Mongoose can breed several times per year and after a gestation period of 60 - 70 days, 1 - 3 young are born in a den. Males do not take part in caring for their young, it is the sole responsibility of the female.
By the time the young reach 3 weeks old they have their eyes open and at 4 weeks old, they leave the nest. At this point they begin to eat solid food and by the time they are 50 days old they are approximately two thirds of their adult weight.
They are weaned at 7 - 9 weeks old and they are independent at 10 weeks. They reach sexual maturity at 1 - 2 years of age.
Predators
Eagles are among the predators of Slender Mongoose.
Subspecies
There are up to 40 subspecies of the Slender Mongoose.
Interesting Facts
Slender Mongoose are also known as:
Black-Tipped Mongoose
Black-Tailed Mongoose |
