AMAZING FUN & INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MONGOOSE

AMAZING FUN & INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MONGOOSE

A mongoose is a small, dynamic mammal with a long body and short legs. Mongooses are famous for standing their ground against venomous snakes, both in literature and in real life, but they are also complex creatures with many other interesting quirks. The mongoose is a weasel-like mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. A close relative of the meerkat, mongooses have long sleek bodies, tapered snouts, and short legs. They can range in size from 7 inches to 2 ft long. It’s normal for a mongoose to have gray or brown fur, and certain species even have ringed tails and striped coats. These small, quick-footed critters are full of surprises.

Here are a few things you may not know about mongooses.

Amazing Facts About the Mongoose

The Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) is native to parts of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Asia and Malaysia. It is a small predatory mammal capable of surviving in a variety of habitats including deserts, forests, agricultural areas and urban areas.

The Indian mongoose was introduced to control pest rodents in sugar cane crops in many countries including islands in the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian oceans, as well as mainland South America and Europe (mainly in the late 1800s early 1900s). unfortunately, it also preys on a large range of wildlife, other that rodents, and has caused a number of bird species to become threatened or extinct.

A common myth about mongooses is that they are all snake hunters. Out of the 36 types of mongooses only one is the true “snake hunter” and that is the Indian gray. A medium sized mongoose, they are the only ones who actually hunt snakes.

While the Indian Gray has strong limbs and is very fast, all mongooses have a secret weapon. They are immune to all kinds of snake venom. They even can eat the venom-making glands, which is exactly what they do.

According to the November-December 2008 issue of Muse, Nanaya Kkara, a Sri Lankan engineer and researcher, has trained dwarf mongooses to find landmines. 

The normal mongoose has gray and black fur . And the more rare ones have red. It can grow up to way 300g . And it can grow up to 40cm long.

It can run walk and jump to catch it pray and escape it predators .It can run to kill a snake to.

The mongoose relies on snakes mice and other small animals to survive.

The mongoose usual range is from the Hawaiians to the Indies islands.

The mongoose  adaptations are sharp teeth and claws to kill its pray.

The mongoose has live baby’s so they don’t have eggs. The same way a human dues .The best way four them to have a baby.

The mongoose is very aggressive mean and very strong. It is aggressive so it will attack a human.

The mongoose uses teeth and claws to attack its enemy.And it uses its quick movement to help it stay safe.

The mongoose biggest enemy is the king cobra. Even though the mongoose kills it. 

The mongoose uses anything for shelter.It also uses claws to help frighten the enemy.

The closest relative is a lemur.The shape of the lemur is almost the same as the mongoose.

The mongoose is surprisingly a good pet.

• There are a range of different types of mongoose (over 30 species). While most are terrestrial, some are semi-aquatic or arboreal. Some species are nocturnal, while others are diurnal.
• Mongooses generally have long bodies, with short legs, rounded ears, tapered snouts and long faces. Their fur tends to be brown or grey, however some species have striped coats or ringed tails. They are incredibly adaptable animals, who prey on a huge variety of species and strive in a wide range of habitats.
• Mongooses use alarm calls to warn others of the presence of danger. On hearing an alarm call, they will quickly rush to the nearest hole for safety. In species that live in groups mongooses take turns of being the sentinel, looking out for danger.
• While mongooses often live in burrows, they rarely dig them themselves, instead opting to move into vacant burrows left by other animals.
• A recent study by scientists from the University of Exeter has found that banded mongooses pass on traditions (relating to foraging) from generation to generation. This practice had previously been thought be reserved for humans and so-called higher animals such as other primates.
• Mongooses are extremely quick and agile. This allows them to effectively dodge the attacks of snakes with relative ease.
• In various species mongooses use scent markings to mark their territory, and to communicate their reproductive status.
• The male mongoose is the animal symbol of ‘Uttara Ashadha’ in the Nakshatras of Vedic astrology; and represents independence.
• The animal totem for mongoose is said to have the magical attributes: defence, protection, and destroying evil. One chant is: Mongoose-power, come to our Defense. Destroy all ill intent. Corner, cage, with righteous rage, All those who threaten, harm or kill. Imprison, bind, those of dark mind, Beneath the mongoose-power and will.
• The mongoose was a sacred and revered animal in Ancient Egypt. Mummified mongooses have been found in ancient tombs, and there are also images of mongooses on funeral urns.
• Mongoosesare weasel-like creatures that belong to the family Herpestidae.
• There are 34 species of mongoose.
• Mongooses are primarily foundin Africa, their range covering most of the continent. Some species occupy parts of southern Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. And some species of mongoose have been introduced into other areas of the world, such as Caribbean and Hawaiian islands.
• They are generally terrestrial mammals, but some are semi-aquatic, and others are at home in the treetops.
• Mongooses livefrom 6 to 10 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.
• With so many different species of mongoose, sizes vary greatly.
• The smallest mongoose is common dwarf mongoose(Helogale parvula). It grows to from 18 to 28 centimeters in length and weighs 210 to 350 grams; in fact, it is Africa’s smallest carnivore.
• The largest mongoose is white-tailed mongoose(Ichneumia albicauda). It has a head-and-body length of 53–71 centimeters (21-28 inches) and a tail length of 40–47 centimeters (16-19 inches) and weighs about 5 kilograms (11 pounds).
• The typical mongoose has along-shaped face and body, short legs and little round ears.
• They normally have brownor gray grizzled fur, and a number of species sport striped coats or ringed tails.
• A few species lead predominantly solitary lives, while others live in groupscalled “packs”, “colonies” or “mobs”.
• Packscan have as many as 50 members.
• Mongooses are diurnal, which means that they are active during the day and sleep at night.
• They live in burrowsmade of a complex system of tunnels or in trees in many different types of landscapes, including deserts and tropical forests.
• Mongooses tend to live in burrows that other animals have abandoned. They rarely dig burrows on their own.
• The mongoose is a small animal but an excellent hunter, with keen senses of smell, sight and hearing, and remarkable reflexes.
• Mongooses are mostly carnivores, feeding on insects, crabs, earthworms, lizards, snakes, rodents, and other small creatures. However, they also eat eggsand carrion.
• The Indian gray mongoose and others are well known for their ability to fight and kill venomous snakes, particularly cobras. They are adept at such tasks due to their agility, thick coats, and specialized acetylcholine receptors which make it, not fully immune, but relatively tolerant of cobra venom.
• Once annually, they produce high-pitched sounds called “giggling” to inform others that they are ready for mating.
• Mongooses have gestation periodsof 42 to 105 days and give birth to one to six offspring at a time.
• A baby mongoosespends most of its time playing and wrestling with litter mates while the adults in the pack forage. When an adult uncovers a beetle, digs up a millipede or snatches an egg, the pups forget about play and beg for a meal using high-pitched chirps like baby birds. Youngsters of most species remain with their family group for life.
• The natural enemiesof mongooses are snakes, hawks, jackals and storks.
• The word “mongoose”is derived from the Marathi name mungūs. The form of the English name (since 1698) was altered to its “-goose” ending by folk-etymology. It has no etymological connection with the word goose.
• Several species of mongoose show an example of simple tool useby throwing or dropping eggs, shellfish and nuts against rocks to open them.
• The average top speedof a Mongoose is 32 kilometers (20 miles) per hour.
• The mongoose has horizontal pupils.
• Despite popular belief, mongooses are not rodents.
• The meerkatis a species of mongoose.
• Mongooses have been introduced to a number of places, usually to help control snakes and rodent pests. Unfortunately, this has rarely, if ever worked, and the the introduced mongooses have generally been a worse problem than the creatures they were introduced to control.
• The ancient Egyptiansdomesticated these wild creatures and considered them sacred (mummified bodies have been discovered in tombs).
• The Buddhist god of wealthVaiśravaṇa, or Dzambala for Tibetans, is frequently depicted holding a mongoose that is spitting jewels from its mouth.
• The Hindu god of wealth, Kubera, is often portrayed holding a mongoose in his left hand, hence the sight of a mongoose is considered lucky by some.
• Mongooses are a common spectacle at roadside shows in India.
• Snake charmerskeep mongooses for mock fights with snakes.
• A well-known fictional mongoose is Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, which appears in a short story of the same title in The Jungle Book (1894) by Rudyard Kipling.

NB- The Indian grey mongoose (Urva edwardsii ) is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The grey mongoose inhabits open forests, scrublands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrows, hedgerows and thickets, among groves of trees, and takes shelter under rocks or bushes and even in drains. It is very bold and inquisitive but wary, seldom venturing far from cover. It climbs very well. Usually found singly or in pairs. It preys on rodents, snakes, birds’ eggs and hatchlings, lizards, and a variety of invertebrates. Along the Chambal River it occasionally feeds on gharial eggs. It breeds throughout the year.

 What are the Differences Between a Mongoose and a Meerkat?

Meerkats may be a member of the mongoose family but they have some genus-specific differences to other mongooses.

Here are the differences between your typical mongoose and meerkat:

1. Mongooses can tolerate a certain amount of snake venom, whereas meerkats can tolerate some scorpion venom.  This is suited to their different living conditions.
2. Mongooses live in many different places, while meerkats live mostly in dry deserts(like the Kalahari in Botswana, South Africa, and the Namib Desert) – where there are a lot of scorpions for them to eat.
3. Mongooses have a rather bushy tail, but the meerkat’s tail is more slender.
4. Mongooses are avid snake hunters, but meerkats prefer scorpions.
5. Meerkats have some pretty funky ears that they can close while they dig so their ears don’t fill up with sand. The mongoose is missing this useful feature.
6. Mongooses have many different colorvariations over the different varieties but meerkats generally look pretty much the same: a yellowish brown that blends in great to the dessert and the grasses.
7. Meerkats have a more distinguished facethan the smooth, fox-like face of the mongoose.
8. Meerkats have round pupilswhereas mongooses have long, thin pupils. In my opinion, the meerkats are a bit cuter than other mongooses

Compiled  & Shared by- This paper is a compilation of groupwork provided by the

Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)

 Image-Courtesy-Google

 Reference-On Request.

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