Species Name Herpestes sanguineus

Family Herpestidae (Viverridae)

Order Carnivora

Distribution

The slender mongoose is found throughout most of Africa.

Habitat

The slender mongoose lives in a wide range of land from dry scrub to moist woodland and swamp areas.

Numbers

The slender mongoose is common. It has few natural enemies except for larger birds of prey and snakes, upon which mongooses sometimes prey.

Related Species

Civet (Viverra civetta), Genets (Genetta sp.) and Suricate (Suricata suricata).

Interesting Facts

The mongoose is actually spelt mungoose in old books, and it has also been called ichneumons in the past. Mongooses are said to make good pets, quickly becoming attached to kindly owners. There was once a belief that mongooses were immune to snake venom but this is not so. Mongooses do kill snakes though, attacking the snake from behind, making a quick bite on the back of the head, jumping back quickly and then attacking again.