Mongoose
Australia and other countries. Mongooses were introduced to
Hawaii in
1883, and have had a significant impact on native species.
Mongooses are sometimes referred to as "the most dangerous animals on the planet" for this reason.
In
Okinawa,
Japan, there is a tourist attraction where a mongoose and a type of local venomous snake, the
habu (one of various
Trimeresurus species) are placed in a closed perimeter and made to fight, while spectators watch. However, due to pressure from
animal rights activists, the spectacle is less common today.
The plural form of
mongoose is properly written
mongooses. The common form
mongeese is technically incorrect since the words
goose and
mongoose are linguistically unrelated.
The word
mongoose is derived from the
Marathi word
mangus.
Herpestinae is a subfamily of Mongoose. The mongooses belong to one of four families of terrestrial cat-like mammals descended from the
Viverraines, which were
civet/
genet-like mammals. The mongoose family is a close evolutionary relation of the family
Viverridae and mongooses are sometimes classified as members of this family; however, mongooses have characteristic and distinguishing morphological and behavioural features though they do have the same basic dental formula as the viverrids. In contrast to the
arboreal,
nocturnal viverrids, mongooses are more commonly terrestrial and many are active during the day. Most are solitary like the Egyptian mongoose but a few, for example
meerkats, have well-developed social systems.
Mongooses have long faces and bodies, small rounded
ears, short legs and long tapering
tails. Most are brindled or grizzled; few have strongly marked coats. They have non-retractile claws that are used primarily for digging.
Less diverse than the viverrids, the 30 species and 11 genera of mongooses are assigned to only two subfamilies. The subfamily Herpestinae comprises 30 species of African and Asian mongooses, including the Cape gray mongoose, the Egyptian mongoose and the meerkat or suricate.
Mongooses are distributed throughout North Africa,
Sub-Saharan Africa, the
Middle East and Asia living in a variety of habitats from forests to open woodland, savanna, semi-desert and desert. Chiefly terrestrial, some are aquatic or semi-arboreal.
The Egyptian mongoose (
Herpestes ichneumon) is sometimes held as an example of a solitary mongoose, though they have been observed to work in groups also.
The meerkat or suricate (
Suricata suricatta) lives in troops of 2-3 families each comprising a male, a female and 2-5 offspring in open country in Southern Africa (
Angola,
Namibia,
Botswana,
South Africa). Meerkats are small, diurnal mammals foraging for invertebrates in open country. Their behaviour and small size (they weigh less than a kg) makes them very vulnerable to larger carnivores and birds of prey. However, the meerkat has been known to eat small birds that migrate through Southern Africa. To protect the foraging troops from predators, one meerkat serves as a sentinel - climbing to an exposed vantage point and scanning the surroundings for danger. If the sentinel detects a predator it gives a loud alarm call to warn the troop and indicate if the threat comes from the air or the ground. If from the air, the meerkats rush as fast as they can to the nearest hole. If from the ground, the troop flees but not quite so fast as meerkats are more able to evade terrestrial predators than airborne raptors.
*
FAMILY HERPESTIDAE **Subfamily
Herpestinae ***Genus
Atilax ****
Marsh Mongoose,
Atilax paludinosus ***Genus
Bdeogale ****
Bushy-tailed Mongoose,
Bdeogale crassicauda ****
Jackson's Mongoose,
Bdeogale jacksoni ****
Black-footed Mongoose,
Bdeogale nigripes ***Genus
Crossarchus ****
Alexander's Cusimanse,
Crossarchus alexandri ****
Ansorge's Cusimanse,
Crossarchus ansorgei ****
Long-nosed Cusimanse,
Crossarchus obscurus ***Genus
Cynictis ****
Yellow Mongoose,
Cynictis penicillata ***Genus
Dologale ****
Pousargues's Mongoose,
Dologale dybowskii ***Genus
Galerella****
Slender Mongoose,
Galerella sanguinea****
Cape Grey Mongoose,
Galerella pulverulenta***Genus
Helogale ****
Desert Dwarf Mongoose,
Helogale hirtula ****
Dwarf Mongoose,
Helogale parvula ***Genus
Herpestes ****
Short-tiled Mongoose,
Herpestes brachyurus ****
Indian Gray Mongoose,
Herpestes edwardsii ****
Egyptian Mongoose,
Herpestes ichneumon ****
Indian or Javan Mongoose,
Herpestes javanicus ****
Long-nosed Mongoose,
Herpestes naso ****
Bengal Mongoose,
Herpestes palustris ****
Collared Mongoose,
Herpestes semitorquatus ****
Ruddy Mongoose,
Herpestes smithii ****
Crab-eating Mongoose,
Herpestes urva ****
Striped-necked Mongoose,
Herpestes vitticollis ***Genus
Ichneumia ****
White-tailed Mongoose,
Ichneumia albicauda ***Genus
Liberiictus ****
Liberian Mongoose,
Liberiictis kuhni ***Genus
Mungos ****
Gambian Mongoose,
Mungos gambianus ****
Banded Mongoose,
Mungos mungo ***Genus
Paracynictis ****
Selous's Mongoose,
Paracynictis selousi ***Genus
Rhynchogale ****
Meller's Mongoose,
Rhynchogale melleri ***Genus
Suricata ****
Meerkat,
Suricata suricatta*The most famous popular fictional mongoose appears in the
Jungle Book:
Rudyard Kipling's
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Kipling describes the adventures of a young mongoose defending his human family from a pair of murderous
cobras.
Miki Mongoose: The Spirit of Okinawa is a
Japanese children's story that features a mongoose as the main character.
[Miki Mongoose: The Spirit of Okinawa] *In the
Sonic The Hedgehog Archie Comics, there is a female mongoose named 'Mina Mongoose.'
*In
Pokémon,
Zangoose is loosely based on a mongoose. His nemesis, a Pokémon named
Seviper, is based on a viper. Zangoose is one of the few Pokémon with the special ability "Immunity", which makes him immune from being Poisoned.
*Dr.Evil was confused as to whether Austin Powers was his "mongoose to his snake" or his "snake to his mongoose"
*In Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the title character says his race car driving is "Like a mongoose stalking its prey"
*Patzy on
Camp Lazlo is a Mongoose
| Mongoose, or Mangouste as depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book |
| | Long-nosed Cusimanse, Crossarchus obscurus |
| | Banded Mongoose, Mungos mungo |
|
