Striped mongoose, or mungo (Mungos mungo). Mongoose animal
When thinking about buying a pet, many people pay attention to the species in our region. Various kinds- this is not for everyone, while most people want to have a funny-looking and unpretentious animal in the house. The circle of “candidates” inexorably narrows when they remember how easy it will be to tame such a pet. And here the mongoose comes into view, which may well be suitable as a pet.
Description and photo
This common name family, which includes 35 species living both in wildlife, and close to people. In India and African countries they are considered habitual human companions (something like). The popularity of mongooses was largely due to their appearance. Their entire body is densely covered with fluffy fur, soft to the touch. It also adds a variety of colors: individuals living in the southern regions are characterized by a yellowish-red color, while their “northern” relatives have fur diluted with splashes of gray. In winter, the fur turns pale, losing its chic appearance (in the spring it acquires it again). 
The best companions are considered to be species such as the common (also known as Indian) mongoose, yellow (fox) and African, better known as striped or mungo. The latter has gained many fans among domestic owners, so we’ll give it Special attention. Body length ranges from 30-48 cm, with the tail accounting for up to 25. An adult specimen reaches a weight of 2-2.5 kg. The coat is long and somewhat stiffer than that of other species, lengthening as it approaches the tail. Note that there are almost no processes on the abdomen.
Important! Another feature of the animal is its claws, which do not retract. This poses a risk for any polished surfaces in the house (primarily furniture).
The color scheme stands out. The hairs at the roots are light; closer to the middle they darken, thereby forming two wide stripes. The tip is usually black-brown. Different lengths wool and forms the very ornament that captivates everyone who saw this miracle from the outside. A small head with a short, pointed muzzle also works as an image. The ears are small and round. The paws seem a little short relative to the body and in color repeat the design of the lower sides and crown. There are 5 toes on the front paws, and only 4 on the hind paws. The big front toe has a long (about 8 mm) straight claw, which the animal uses to dig holes. 
Other processes are curved. Their teeth are large and strong, on average, the number of incisors reaches 40. Life expectancy: 7-12 years, depending on conditions. In a word, in appearance the animal is in many ways reminiscent of. If you look at the photo, it turns out that all species differ only in their “coats” and dimensions (from 25 cm for smaller lines to an impressive 75 for the largest ones). Having found out what a domesticated mongoose looks like, let’s pay attention to its habits.
Character traits
Mongooses have a sociable nature, which, coupled with natural curiosity, makes these animals ideal companions. They are very smart, which requires constant attention from their owners.
Did you know? In the central regions of India, mongooses are revered as sacred animals.
Thanks to the image of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi from the fairy tale about Mowgli, mongooses gained the reputation of natural “opponents” of snakes. In fact, this is not entirely true: the animal enters into a fight with them as a last resort (due to a slower reaction). They often conflict with rats, but zoologists note that this is not entirely typical behavior: representatives of this family are distinguished by their peacefulness and show aggression in exceptional cases. The period of highest activity occurs during daylight hours days, although a healthy individual can remain alert at night. To understand what to expect from a mongoose, be it a striped or a fox specimen, you need to keep in mind how its relatives behave in the wild. 
Life of mongooses in the wild
Habitat - south-eastern regions of Asia (in particular, India) and the entire territory of Africa along with Madagascar. There they are found mainly on open areas near bodies of water: they try to avoid deserts and mountains. They live in groups of up to 50 individuals and have their own leader (often a female). Together they dig holes that reveal entire underground galleries. True, mongooses use them only for sleeping or as shelter in case of danger: most of the time is spent on the surface.
Important! As soon as he sees a stranger in the house, the mongoose immediately stands on hind legs, making a high-pitched whistling sound. Don’t be afraid - this is a normal reaction, and the guest is not in danger (except for the case when he still tries to take unusual inhabitant on hands).
They also defend together - when they see the enemy approaching, they huddle together, fluffing their tails and not forgetting to make a sharp sound. They defend themselves zealously, but if the forces are not equal, they can fight. They are considered predators - their favorite delicacies are insects, small rodents and frogs (less often snails or fish). Although from plant food They don’t refuse either: they use the roots and fruits that they can reach. 
Mungos, unpretentious in food, went even further, not disdaining even fresh manure. They reproduce quickly - in a year a female can have 2 or even 3 broods (2-3 babies each). Until the age of one month, the offspring are fed milk, and after that the young animals begin to imitate adults, trying to get food on their own.
Is it worth starting at home?
Considering such inclinations of the animal, even before purchasing, you should carefully consider whether you can cope with such an active pet, which will be a domestic, but still wayward mongoose.
Behind
Owners of such animals can give the following arguments in favor of keeping them:
- accuracy- in captivity, mongooses are very clean: they do not scatter food and are well accustomed to the tray;
- affection for owners- smart animals love to be in sight, and even more so to play with the people around them. You can often hear them chirping quietly - such sounds relax;
- ability to get along with other pets- or they will be good companions;
- relative unpretentiousness and moderation in eating;
- learning ability- many individuals react to the nickname they receive.
Did you know? Contrary to popular belief, these animals are not immune to snake venom.
Adding to this a touching appearance, you might think that you couldn’t find a better roommate among animals. But you shouldn’t make hasty conclusions - the “minke whale” also has its downsides.
Against
Potential owners of the mongoose are confused by the inherent disadvantages of this species. The main ones include:
- a specific odor released from glands on the face and under the tail. This is especially noticeable in a small room;
- wary attitude towards strangers - guests, taking this creature in their hands, risk being scratched;
- need for constant attention, especially when the pet has left the cage;
- Many people miss the fact that mongooses, unlike or, do not get rid of “wild” habits, which requires care in handling them.
Conditions and care of the animal
In order for an overseas guest to delight with his contented appearance, he will have to create a suitable microclimate (and more). But first things first.
Climatic conditions
Due to their origin, mongooses are sensitive to heat. But this does not mean that you need to keep the lamp on all the time near the cage.
Important! In an effort to provide maximum comfort to their furry pet, some place the cage almost right next to a radiator or heater (this is precisely what should not be done).
It is enough to place the “home” in a warm, dry corner away from damp walls (and there are those in almost every house). Of course, a draft is also excluded: the animal is unusual for such natural phenomena. Specific recommendations for temperature conditions no, but the owners try to maintain the temperature in the room around +21...+25 °C. If the apartment is cooler, many people cover the top and one side of the cage with an old blanket. 
Cage requirements
Considering where and how mongooses live in nature, it’s easy to guess that when home care they need a cage. The main requirement for it is big sizes. A cage with dimensions of 90x50x70 cm is considered an acceptable minimum. Although caring owners consider it more like a “temporary place” for a growing individual. The best option for an adult specimen would be one with dimensions of 1x1x2 m - this is definitely enough for a nimble pet that loves to stand on its hind legs. This is a lot, but do not forget that the cage will also have to be properly equipped.
Home improvement
The entire space is divided into two zones - for relaxation and entertainment. For sleeping, you need to allocate a house or, in extreme cases, a box securely attached to the rods (but the latter will not last long: the cardboard will become an easy prey).
Did you know?It is believed that the “chirping” of mongooses is similar to human speech during its formation.
There must be a branch running along and attached to the same twigs. It would be nice if a slightly smaller driftwood was placed below, on which the mongoose would sharpen its claws. By putting a couple of simple toys like a ball in the cage, you can be sure that your pet will not get bored in your absence. 
Naturally, a bowl or drinking bowl - you can’t do without them. Even a large “dwelling” needs to be opened daily, allowing its occupant to walk around the house. During such a walk, someone must keep an eye on the antics of the restless animal (you cannot leave him alone in the apartment).
What do mongooses eat?
We already know what a mongoose living in the wild eats. Considering inherent to the species unpretentiousness, you don’t have to worry about the diet of his domestic counterparts - they do not require special delicacies. On the other hand, you need to know what exactly to include in your diet.
Authorized Products
An omnivorous animal will gladly eat everything that is rich in carbohydrates and proteins. To replenish lost energy, the best options are:
- raw lean meat (chicken, beef);
- raw fish;
- offal;
- small;
- insects;
- snails;
- larvae like zoophobus;
- cottage cheese;
- raw (and only) eggs;
- nuts;
- vegetables and fruits, which it is advisable to cut into smaller pieces.
Important!Make sure there is a minimum of fat in the meat. As for fish, they are best suited marine species(river fish often get worms).
As you can see, no special frills. But there is also important point- products from this list need to be grouped. In other words, each of 2-3 meals per day should contain strictly the same type of delicacy: meat or offal, fruits or vegetables cannot be mixed in one go. The order in which they are served does not play a role (unlike balance, which requires equal amounts of protein and carbohydrate food going into the feed).
Prohibited Products
The principle, beloved by some, “you ate it yourself - and he will eat it” is of no use here: some products are very dangerous for animals. In the case of mongooses, the following were strictly prohibited:
- fried, smoked and salted foods;
- mayonnaise;
- ketchup;
- chips;
- sweets (especially chocolate and cream cakes).
Possible difficulties
Difficulties are caused mainly by the irrepressible nature of the pet. As you may have noticed, the need to keep an eye on him while walking around the apartment has already been mentioned here. These are not empty words, but a truly important detail of care.
Did you know?While observing wild animals, zoologists saw a lot of interesting things. For example, if the animal managed to win, then it is considered a purely personal “trophy” - with all its collectivism, other individuals from the group will not ask for even a piece.
Even a couple of minutes is enough for a nimble animal, once outside the cage, to cause damage - most often pots of flowers and objects standing on the edge of a table or windowsill suffer. Wiring and cables lying on the floor are especially dangerous: a curious animal can try them (which, if there is voltage, ends sadly). Even before opening the cage, make sure that entrance doors closed - it only takes a couple of seconds for a mongoose to sneak in there. 
When leaving for work, be sure to close the cage and check whether the hook on the door is securely attached: a smart animal is quite capable of finding the slack and knocking it down, which can lead to damage to the furniture and everything that can be reached with its claws. In February-March, you should be careful: this is the breeding season, and the funny pet, obeying the call of nature, becomes aggressive.
For the same reason, it is not recommended to keep individuals of different sexes - they become uncontrollable. If the female is pregnant, another problem is added: what to do with the offspring. Otherwise, the maintenance is not associated with any significant difficulties, and an attentive owner can easily cope with this task. Now you know who this amazing mongoose is and what you need for his comfortable stay in the house. We hope that readers will soberly evaluate all the nuances of such cohabitation and make a well-considered decision, and the unusual guest will delight the whole family. In Asia and African continent
lives an animal surprisingly similar to a marten. But even in our country, everyone who watched the cartoon “Rikki – Tikki – Tavi”, based on the works of R. Kipling, is familiar with him. This is the animal mongoose.
What does a mongoose look like?
A strong, slightly elongated body on low paws, a narrow, pretty muzzle and a long fluffy tail - this is a brief portrait of a mongoose. The unusually thick fur of this animal can have different colors, depending on the species to which it belongs, or even a pattern in the form of spots and stripes. And despite hot climate
, in which he lives, it is simply necessary for the mongoose, as it can protect him from snake bites.
The size of the animal mongoose, again, depending on the species, can range from 25 to 75 cm, and weight from 1.5 to 6 kg. There are five fingers on the short paws, on which rather powerful and non-retractable claws grow, which characterizes the mongoose as an excellent hunter. The beautiful and intelligent eyes of this furry animal are very sharp. He also has an excellent sense of smell. But his hearing is rather weak.
In the mongoose’s mouth there are two rows of unusually strong and sharp teeth, which, like the claws, are successfully used during hunting.
As mentioned earlier, the mongoose’s homeland is Asia and Africa. Here it settles almost everywhere - deserts, forests, shores of reservoirs... Everything again depends on the species to which this or that individual belongs. At the same time, it does not matter at all to them that it is outside - day or night - mongooses can be active at any time of the day. They can run, skip, jump or just hunt... The tireless mongoose seems to never sleep at all.
In fact, mongooses do not hunt snakes that often. Most likely, this is a necessary measure in case of hunger or threat from a snake What does a mongoose eat?
Mongooses are predators, but it is safe to say that they are tireless hunters. Their diet mainly consists of insects, small invertebrates and crustaceans.
Listen to the mongoose's voice
By the way, the fact cited in the legendary cartoon “Rikki – Tikki – Tavi” about how mongooses hunt cobras is an exaggeration. But if hunger or fear presses you... and you won’t be well.
Mongoose lifestyle
Mongooses lead an exclusively terrestrial lifestyle, and at the same time they have enough natural enemies. The main ones are large predator birds, which, while still at altitude, look out for furry animals and attack.
Even more defenseless in this regard are baby mongooses, who, due to their immaturity and weakness, do not even have time to run to the hole and hide.
As for the latter, they are born after pregnancy, which lasts 60 days. Babies are born very weak and blind, and luxurious fur has not yet formed on the body, and the covering is slightly pubescent.
During the first period of their life, mongoose cubs feed on their mother’s milk and grow quite quickly, which allows them to go on their first hunt under the supervision of their parents at the age of 3 months. And here begins, perhaps, the most difficult period, when it is necessary to save not only your life, but also the life of the cubs. In this case, mongooses behave not only bravely, standing on end, bristling their fur and making threatening sounds, but also own secret weapon– raising their gorgeous tail up, they release a stream of foul-smelling liquid, thereby scaring away enemies. And in case of severe danger, mongooses can attack the enemy, even if he is larger in size.
A nimble animal and a fearless opponent of snakes is the mongoose. There are quite a lot of representatives of this genus, more than 70 species. A small predator that feeds on bird eggs, mice, and insects, it hunts mainly at night. The brownish-gray color of its fur helps it to be invisible. An excellent sense of smell, excellent hearing and a keen eye make the mongoose an excellent hunter.
Rumor has endowed the animal with an instinct that forces it to rush into battle at the sight of a snake. This is wrong. Given the opportunity, the animal will definitely evade the fight. The belief that mongooses are immune to snake venom is wrong. They are defenseless against fatal bite on a par with other animals. Nimble kids defeat snakes solely thanks to their dexterity and resourcefulness.
The distribution area of the animal is the tropics of the Old World. The animal lives in bushes, on the banks of rivers overgrown with reeds, and in rocky areas. All varieties of savannas are a haven for the mongoose. Quite often settles in houses or on personal plots. Along with the benefits, the prankster can cause significant harm to the farm, ruining clutches and stealing eggs.
Hindus love to keep mongoose as a pet. The animal is friendly, has a cheerful disposition, is easily tamed and is attached to its owners. There are many examples when a little friend saved his owners by fearlessly throwing himself at a snake that was several times larger than him. A similar case was described by R. Kipling in his famous book.
In addition, the mongoose perfectly replaces the cat and short term exterminates all rodents in the house. He does not disdain small crustaceans. And juicy fruits of local trees and berries complement its diet. The animals are excellent at climbing trees, reaching the nests of small birds hidden in the leaves and eating their eggs.
Mongooses live in families and alone. You can meet them in the most unusual places. The animal can hide in the roots of a tree or a hollow. An old termite mound or a rusty drainpipe would be quite suitable for his home. Representatives of this family are unpretentious and use any suitable crevice for shelter.
Most mongoose species raise their young together. The cubs actively take advantage of this. Having approached his relative, the baby begins to squeal heart-rendingly, and the poor fellow has no choice but to go in search of food to annoy him.
Features and habitat of the mongoose
Mongoose(from the Latin Herpestes) is a mammal from the order of predators of the mongoose family.
This family was separated from the civet family due to some differences in mongoose animals, such as rounded ears, odorous anal glands and others.
It has a medium-sized slender elongated body from 20 to 75 centimeters, a small head with an elongated muzzle and small ears, a rather long tail reaching the length of the body and four short limbs with non-retractable claws.
The color of these mammals is predominantly monotonous gray and brown. Some species have stripes and ring patterns on their tails. One of animals outwardly very mongoose-like is a ferret. The habitat of mongooses is southern Europe, Asia and Africa.
The mongoose family is very extensive and contains 35 species, which are grouped into 14 genera:
Water mongooses;
Black-footed mongooses(fuzzy-tailed, black-footed and Jackson's mongoose);
Cuzimanza (Zairean, Angolan, long-nosed, flat-headed cuzimanza);
Yellow mongooses;
Dybovsky's mongoose;
African mongooses(South African mongoose, slender mongoose, rufous and buffy mongoose);
Dwarf mongooses(tiny and dwarf mongooses);
Genus Mongoose (small, short-tailed, common, brown, Egyptian, Javan, long-nosed, collared, Indian, band-necked and crabeater mongoose);
White-tailed mongooses;
Liberian mongoose;
Striped mongooses(striped and Gambian);
Gray mongoose;
Umbi;
Meerkat.
From most of the names of genera and species themselves, one can understand the differences between animals from each other. Also, you can easily look at all these differences between animals by studying photo of mongooses.
Character and lifestyle of the mongoose
The mongoose is not a solitary animal; it usually lives in groups of up to 40-50 individuals. Leads both daytime and night look terrestrial life.
For safety and reproduction, they dig underground holes for themselves or inhabit those abandoned by someone. Some species live in the roots of trees, and sometimes even in low hollows.
These mammals hunt mainly in packs, telling each other about the location of the prey with peculiar sounds reminiscent of a whistle. Often, when hunting, in order to detect prey, mongooses stand on their hind legs and look out for their game in the surrounding area.
The fame of mongooses among the ordinary population of our planet was brought by the writer Joseph Rudyard Kipling, who wrote a fairy tale about the winner of a cobra. mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi based on which a hand-drawn animated film of the same name was released in the Soviet Union in 1965, then, together with Indian cinema, a feature film with the same name was released in our country in 1975.
The dexterity and maneuverability of mongooses prompted our armed forces to name the high-speed boats of the 12150 series “Mongoose” produced in their honor since 2000. The Italian military also decided to keep up with ours and in 2007 invented and began producing for Turkish army attack helicopters called "Agusta A129 "Mongoose".
Mongoose nutrition
The mongoose spends most of its waking time hunting for food. Its world-famous agility and speed allows it to hunt even nimble and fast small vertebrate mammals, such as mice, rats, small birds and even invertebrate snakes, including poisonous ones.
In addition, the diet of these animals includes insects and larvae. Separate mongoose species, living near bodies of water, eat crustaceans such as snails, crabs and clams.
Some species are omnivores and, in addition to animal food, consume plants, fruits, berries, nuts and various seeds. There are interesting observations of how mongooses crack nuts– taking the nut with its forelimbs, the animal stands on its hind legs, lifts the nut above itself and throws it on the ground, thereby breaking the shell.
Due to its unusual nature in the form of hunting poisonous snakes, these mammals are very popular in India and are very often owned mongooses as pets. Moreover, the animal takes root well and gets accustomed to home conditions and is quite unpretentious to homemade food.
Some entrepreneurs in this country specifically breed these mammals and, on the market, anyone can buy animal mongoose to your home. For the local population mongoose value not as great in money as in a kind of guardianship of the human home from various kinds of snakes.
Mongoose reproduction and lifespan
Mongooses reach sexual maturity at one year of age. They do not have a specific mating period; depending on the species and habitat, the mating periods of mongooses take place in different seasons.
After mating, they bear offspring for 60 days, preparing their home for their appearance. The litter of mongooses ranges from one to four cubs. After birth, they are blind and feed on their mother's milk for a month. They begin to move independently after 1.5-2 weeks.
The females of these animals are very caring mothers. Moreover, they often take care of both their children and the children of other females living in the pack. Before independent life mothers protect their cubs in everything, bring them food, teach them to hunt, and make sure that they do not stray too far from the shelter.
Very often, without keeping an eye on your child, baby mongoose become food for other larger predators. One of the animals that eats the mongoose are birds of prey, which, seeing the animal from afar, suddenly rush down, grabbing their prey with their claws and dragging them into their nest. Large cat predators also like to feast on mongooses.
The life expectancy of mongooses is not long and reaches an average of 6-8 years. At home and in zoos, these animals live a little longer, the most long term The known life span currently reaches 12 years.
Striped mongoose- a common representative of African mongooses. These energetic, intelligent animals live in well-organized communities.
HABITAT
The sub-Saharan banded mongoose has adapted to life in a wide variety of environments. natural conditions. In the south of the continent, it settled in dry semi-deserts, overgrown with all kinds of species herbaceous plants. In the north of its range, it settles in more humid places, where savannas adjoin tropical forests, but everywhere it prefers to stay near sources of fresh water.
LIFESTYLE
Banded mongooses live in organized groups of 20-25 individuals, which include adults and their young. Each community occupies its own territory, the boundaries of which the animals mark with splashes of urine and marks of an odorous substance on stones and tree bark. On the territory of the group there is always a watering hole, one main dwelling and several temporary shelters. Usually the animals dig a common hole, but often settle in old termite mounds, holes abandoned by previous owners and rotten tree trunks. The mongoose's home consists of one common bedroom with several entrances, in which the animals spend the night. The areas of neighboring groups often overlap with each other, and this does not bother the mongooses until the two groups come face to face. In this case, noisy fights break out between neighbors, although it usually does not lead to serious injuries. Group members recognize each other by smell and chirp continuously, maintaining vocal contact. Leading a diurnal lifestyle, mongooses leave their shelter at dawn and go to feed. In search of food, the animals examine grass hummocks and piles of fallen leaves, and turn over stones. The basis of their diet is insects, larvae and other invertebrate animals; in addition, they willingly eat small reptiles and amphibians, bird eggs and chicks. To break the shell, the animal takes the egg in its front paws and then throws it into a stone or tree. Sometimes mongooses joint forces kill a larger animal or snake. Having discovered a reptile, several mongooses alternately jump on it, provoking it into fruitless attacks, and when it is exhausted, the whole group pounces on the victim and bites it to death. During feeding, at least two animals stand guard and vigilantly watch the surroundings in order to warn their relatives about danger in advance. Among the most dangerous enemies of mongooses are wild dogs, jackals, snakes and birds of prey. When an alarm is signaled, the animals immediately hide in the nearest shelters - shallow burrows, rock cracks or under tree roots. If someone is attacked, the whole group rushes together to help their friend. Before the eyes of observers, mongooses more than once worked together to drive away jackals or rescue a relative from the claws of a feathered predator.
REPRODUCTION
The female becomes sexually mature at 9-10 months, and the male at one year old. Despite the caring care of adults, only 50% of juveniles survive to childbearing age. Sexually mature animals usually leave their native group for other families, and their place is taken by people from neighboring communities. Thanks to this, mongooses avoid inbreeding, which carries the danger of degeneration.
DID YOU KNOW?
- The mongoose has another name - ichneumon.
- The most famous is the Egyptian ichneumon. The ancient Egyptians worshiped it as a sacred animal, for which this animal is sometimes called the pharaoh's rat. The body length of this animal is about 55 cm, the tail is 45 cm, and the weight is 8 kg. He often hunts snakes, even emerging victorious from fights with cobras. People willingly keep ichneumons in their homes as exterminators poisonous reptiles. For the same purposes, they were brought to Spain and Italy.
- The crabeater mongoose lives in swampy lowlands, leading a partly aquatic lifestyle and feeding on various crustaceans.
- The dwarf mongoose is immune to the venom of scorpions, which often become its prey.
- Striped mongooses easily adapt to life in zoos and breed in captivity.
- Mongooses that live in dry areas breed during the rainy season, making one brood per year. Inhabitants of wetter places can bear offspring up to three times a year.
RELATED SPECIES
Mongooses are a fairly homogeneous group of animals from the civet family. Some taxonomists distinguish a separate family of mongooses within the order of carnivores. All mongooses are small in size and have a narrow long body, very dexterous and agile. Most of these indigenous inhabitants of Africa and Asia lead a terrestrial lifestyle, and only a few species can climb trees.
Yellow (fox-shaped) mongoose- inhabits grassy semi-deserts in South Africa. In winter its fur is yellow, and in summer it is reddish.
- found in tropical forests Madagascar. The general tone of its color is reddish-red. On long tail transverse black stripes are visible. Good at climbing trees.
