Herpestidae General ResourcesHerpestidae  
Mongooses are small carnivores. Most species are found in Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Mongoose
Mongooses live in burrows and are nondiscriminatory predators, feeding on small animals such as rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, and worms.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes Atilax (marsh mongoose) Marsh Mongoose
Marsh Mongoose is widely distributed over all the better-watered parts of Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Bdeogale (mongooses) Black-footed Mongoose
The black-footed mongoose lives in African rainforests, from southeastern Nigeria to northern Democratic Republic of the Congo and also northern Angola.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Crossarchus (cusimanses) Long-nosed Cusimanse
The long-nosed cusimanse is found in West Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Long-nosed Cusimanse
The long-nosed cusimanse is highly social and travels in packs of 10-25 individuals.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Cynictis (yellow mongoose) Yellow Mongoose
The yellow mongoose is found throughout Southern Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Dologale (Pousargues's mongoose) Pousargues's Mongoose
The Pousargues's mongoose is found in Africa in the Central African Republic, northeast Zaire, southern Sudan, and throughout western Uganda.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Galerella (slender mongooses) Slender Mongoose
The slender mongoose is found in the savanna and semiarid regions of subsaharan Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Helogale (dwarf mongooses) Dwarf Mongoose
The dwarf mongoose is found from Ethiopia to Angola.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Dwarf Mongoose
The dwarf mongoose is the smallest carnivore in Africa. It is about 9 inches long and has a 6 inch tail.
Source: Bristol Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Dwarf Mongoose
Dwarf mongooses live in packs of 12 to 15 individuals.
Source: Oregon Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Dwarf Mongoose
Dwarf mongoose packs normally include only one breeding pair. The other adults in the pack help raise the young.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Herpestes (mongooses) Egyptian Mongoose
The Egyptian mongoose is found in Spain, Portugal, Israel, and most of Africa
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Indian Mongoose
The Indian mongoose is native to southeast Asia from Pakistan to the south coast of China, and throughout the Malay Peninsula and Java. It has been introduced to the West Indies, South America, Japan, Europe and several Pacific islands, to help control rodent and snake populations.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Indian Mongoose
The Indian mongoose was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the 1880s. It was brought to Hawaii in an attempt to control rats in the sugarcane plantations.
Source: Honolulu Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Indian Gray Mongoose 
Indian gray mongoose is a small, slender carnivore, with a long, bushy tail, short legs, and sharp, non-retractable claws.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Indian Gray Mongoose
The Indian gray mongooses is found in coastal areas from Arabia to Nepal and downward through Pakistan, India, and Ceylon.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Ichneumia (white-tailed mongoose) White-tailed Mongoose
White tailed mongooses are relatively large mongooses. They have long yellowish-tan hair, and long, black guard hairs make them appear grizzled. They have a white tipped bushy tail.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
White-tailed Mongoose
The white-tailed mongoose is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Liberiictis (Liberian mongoose) Liberian Mongoose 
The Liberian mongoose is found in northwestern Liberia and southwestern Ivory Coast.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Mungos (banded mongoose and Gambian mongoose) Banded Mongoose
Banded mongooses are 12 to 16 inches long with an eight-inch tail.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Banded Mongoose
Banded mongooses are dark brown to brownish gray with dark bands across their backs.
Source: Fort Wayne Children's Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Banded Mongoose
The banded mongoose is found across Africa, from Gambia to northeastern Ethiopia, and down to South Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Banded Mongoose
The Banded Mongoose can kill a cobra by biting off its head.
Source: Chester Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No Paracynictis (Selous's mongoose)
Rhynchogale (Meller's mongoose)
Suricata (meerkat) Meerkat 
Meerkats get the moisture they need from eating roots and tubers as well as fruit such as tsama melons.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Meerkat
Young meerkats are so fearful of predatory birds that even airplanes will send them diving for cover.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes Meerkat
Meerkats breed two or three times per year.
Source: Philadelphia Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Meerkat
Meerkats enjoy sunbathing when they first emerge from their burrows in the morning.
Hakuna Matata!
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Meerkat
Meerkats have dark patches of fur around their eyes. These dark patches help protect the meerkat's eyes from harsh sunlight.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Meerkat
Meerkats are immune to the venom of scorpions and some snakes.
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Meerkat
Meerkats can often be seen watching for predators while standing on their hind legs or sitting on their haunches.
Source: Phoenix Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Meerkat
Meerkats are found in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Meerkat
Meerkats are 10-14 inches long with a 10 inch tail.
Source: Oregon Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Meerkat
Meerkats are very social and live in packs consisting of up to 3 family groups made up of as many 30 individuals. A meerkat pack is called a mob.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes |
North American Species 
NH Species
Endangered 
Critically Endangered 
Extinct in the Wild 
Extinct 
