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The Mongoose
A dwarf mongoose
The mongoose is a member of the family Herpestidae, which also accommodates a family of small, cat-like carnivores.
They live primarily in southern Asia, Africa, and southern Europe, as well as some Caribbean and Hawaiian islands, and some species have been found in parts of South America, including Guyana.
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. Mongooses, much like goats, have narrow, ovular pupils. They have a large anal scent gland, used for scent-marking of territories, and signaling reproductive status.
Mongooses range in size from the squirrel-sized – the Common Dwarf Mongoose – at 280 grammes (9.9 oz), to the cat-sized – the White-tailed Mongoose – at 4 kilogrammes (8.8 lb).
There are more than thirty species, ranging from one to four feet in length. Some species of mongooses lead predominantly solitary lives, seeking out food only for themselves, while others travel in groups, sharing food among the members of the group. Mongooses mostly feed on insects, crabs, earthworms, lizards, snakes, chickens, and rodents. However, they also eat eggs and carrion.
Some, such as the Indian Mongoose, are popularly used to fight and kill venomous snakes, even King Cobras. They are able to do this because of their agility and cunning, and their thick coat, but typically avoid the cobra and have no particular affinity for consuming its meat.
Mongooses also have receptors for acetylcholine that, like the receptors in snakes, are shaped so that it is impossible for snake neurotoxin venom to attach to them. Research is being done to determine if similar mechanisms protect the mongoose from hemotoxic snake venoms.
The Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is sometimes held as an example of a solitary mongoose, though it has been observed to work in groups also.
The Meerkat or Suricate (Suricata suricatta) lives in troops of 20 to 30 consisting of an alpha male and female, usually together with their siblings and offspring, in open country in Southern Africa (Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa).
The Meerkat is a small, diurnal mammal, which forages for invertebrates in open country. Its behaviour and small size (it weighs less than one kilogram) make it 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 as fast, as meerkats are more able to evade terrestrial predators than airborne raptors.
It is believed that some species are fairly intelligent and can be taught simple tricks, a development which has led to a number of them being domesticated, often kept as pets to control vermin. However, they can be more destructive than desired. According to reports when imported into the West Indies to kill rats and snakes, they destroyed most of the small, ground-based fauna. For this reason, it is illegal to import most species of mongoose into the United States, Australia, and some other countries. Mongooses were introduced to Hawaii in 1883, and have had a significant impact on native species.
The mongoose emits a high pitched noise, commonly known as giggling, when it mates. The giggling is also a form of courtship when this animal is choosing a mate.
Mongooses are a common spectacle for roadside shows in India. Snake charmers typically keep mongooses for mock fights with snakes. In some areas it is considered a tourist attraction when a mongoose and a type of local venomous snake, the habu (one of various Trimeresurus species) are placed in a closed perimeter and allowed to fight, while spectators watch. However, due to pressure from animal rights activists, the spectacle is less common today.
In ancient Egypt according to the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (1.35 & 1.87), native mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon) were venerated for their ability to handle venomous snakes and for their occasional diet of crocodile eggs. (Source: The Wikipedia Free Online Encyclopedia)
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