Banded Mongoose

Class: Mammals

Order: Carnivores

Family: Herpestidae (Mongoose)

Weight: 1.5-2.25 kg

Height: 20 cm

Body length: 30-45 cm

Coloration: Ranges from whitish-grey to dark brown

Age of sexual maturity: 9-10 months

Gestation period: 55-62 days

Lifespan: 6-8 years

Habitat range: Primarily found in the southern and central parts of Africa

Diet: Insects and their larvae

Did you know?

• Their diet includes venomous insects with spines. In such cases, they will roll their prey in the dirt until the spines or venomous secretions are removed.
• Extremely social species of mongooses are usually smaller compared to solitary species. As an adaptation, when predators approach a group of banded mongooses, they huddle closely together, creating the illusion of a larger animal.