Banded Mongoose
Encyclopedia
The Banded Mongoose is a mongoose
commonly found in the central and eastern parts of Africa
. It lives in savanna
s, open forests and grassland
s and feeds primarily on beetle
s and millipede
s. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds. While most mongoose species live solitary lives, the banded mongoose live in colonies with a complex social structure.
An adult animal can reach a length of 30 to 45 cm and a weight of 1.5 to 2.25 kg. The tail is 15 to 30 cm long.
, Southeast and South-Central Africa. There are also populations in the northern savannas of West Africa
. The banded mongoose lives in savanna
s, open forests and grassland
, especially near water, but also in dry, thorny bushland
but not deserts. The species uses various types of dens for shelter, most commonly termite mounds. They will also live in rock shelters, thickets, gullies, and warrens under bushes. Mongooses prefer multi-entranced termitaria with open thicket, averaging 4 m from the nearest shelter, located in semi-closed woodland. In contrast to the den of the dwarf mongoose
, banded mongoose dens are less dependent on vegetation cover and have more entrances. Banded mongooses live in larger groups than dwarf mongooses and this more entrances means more members have access to the den and ventilation. The development of agriculture
in the continent has had a positive influence on the number of banded mongooses. The crops of the farmland serve as an extra food source.
s and beetle
s made of most of their diet. Ants, crickets, termites, grasshoppers, caterpillars and earwigs are also important parts of their diet. Other prey items of the mongoose includes frog
s, lizard
s, small snake
s, ground bird and the eggs of both birds and reptiles. On some occasions, mongooses will drink water from rain pools and lake shores.
Banded mongoose groups forage as a unit while each individual finds its own food. They embark on foraging trips every morning for several hours and then retire to shade to rest. They will often have a second foraging trip late in the afternoon. Mongooses use their sense of smell to locate their prey and dig them out with their long claws, both in hole in the ground and holes in trees. Mongoose will also frequent near the dung of large herbivores since they attract millipedes and beetles. Low grunts are produced every few seconds so each mongoose can maintain contact with each other. Mongooses do not share food and will defend food and potential food from each other. When hunting prey that produce noxious secretions, like frogs and millipedes, mongooses will roll them around the ground before eating them. With eggs and hard-shelled prey, like dung beetles, mongoose will clasp the food item between its front paws and throws it behind its hind legs and onto a hard surface like a rock.
, the group will form a compact arrangement in which they lie on each other with heads facing outwards and upwards.
There is generally no strict hierarchy in mongoose groups. In addition, aggression within groups tends to be low. Sometimes, mongoose may squabble over a food item, however the finder of the food is usually the winner. Most aggression and hierarchical behavior occurs between males when females are in oestrus. Female are usually not aggressive but have an age-based hierarchy in which older females enter estrous earlier and have larger litters. Adult females are forcibly evicted from the group when their numbers grow large. Females are evicted by older females and sometimes males. When these dispersing females encounter neighbouring groups they may be joined by groups of subordinate males to start a new group.
Relations between groups are highly aggressive and mongooses are sometimes killed and injured during intergroup encounters. Nevertheless, breeding females will often mate with males from a rival group in the midst of a fight. Mongooses use scent markings for territorial demarcation and defensive but may also be used in communicating within social groups. In the society of the banded mongoose there is a clear separation between mating rivals and territorial rivals. Individuals within groups are rivals for mates while those from neighboring groups are competitors for food and resources.
Gestation is 60–70 days. Around 70% of adult females in the group carry to term, and give birth together in an underground den. In most breeding attempts, all females give birth on exactly the same day. Each female gives birth to 2–5 pups; average litter size is four. Pups are kept underground for the first four weeks of life, during which time they are guarded at the den by 1–3 babysitters while the rest of the group goes off to forage. After four weeks, the pups join the group on foraging trips. Each pup is cared for by a single adult "escort" who helps the pup to find food and protects it from danger. Pups become nutritionally independent at three months of age.
Banded mongooses have been observed removing ticks and other parasites from warthogs in Kenya and Uganda. The mongooses get food, while the warthogs get cleaned.
of Tanzania, mongooses life at a density of around 3 animals per km2. In southern KwaZulu-Natal
, South Africa, mongoose numbers are at a similar density at 2.4 km2. Queen Elizabeth National Park
has a much higher population density of mongooses at 18/km2. Overall the banded mongoose tends to be more abundant in the eastern and south-eastern areas of its range than in more western areas.
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
commonly found in the central and eastern parts of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It lives in savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
s, open forests and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s and feeds primarily on beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s and millipede
Millipede
Millipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment . Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one...
s. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds. While most mongoose species live solitary lives, the banded mongoose live in colonies with a complex social structure.
Physical characteristics
The banded mongoose is a sturdy mongoose with a large head, small ears, short, muscular limbs and a long tail, almost as long as the rest of the body. Animals of wetter areas are larger and darker colored than animals of dryer regions. The abdominal part of the body is higher and rounder than the breast area. The rough fur is grayish brown, and there are several dark brown to black horizontal bars across the back. The limbs and snout are darker, while the underparts are lighter than the rest of the body. Banded mongooses have long strong claws that allow them to dig in the soil.An adult animal can reach a length of 30 to 45 cm and a weight of 1.5 to 2.25 kg. The tail is 15 to 30 cm long.
Range and ecology
The banded mongoose is found in a large part of EastEast Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, Southeast and South-Central Africa. There are also populations in the northern savannas of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. The banded mongoose lives in savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
s, open forests and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, especially near water, but also in dry, thorny bushland
Bushland
Bushland is any area in Australia that is predominantly indigenous flora and fauna.Bushland is the term commonly used by conservation protection groups and other environmental groups as a blanket term for natural vegetation, which may cover any kind of habitat from open shrubby country with few...
but not deserts. The species uses various types of dens for shelter, most commonly termite mounds. They will also live in rock shelters, thickets, gullies, and warrens under bushes. Mongooses prefer multi-entranced termitaria with open thicket, averaging 4 m from the nearest shelter, located in semi-closed woodland. In contrast to the den of the dwarf mongoose
Dwarf Mongoose
The Common Dwarf Mongoose , sometimes just called the Dwarf Mongoose, is a small African carnivore belonging to the mongoose family .-Physical characteristics:...
, banded mongoose dens are less dependent on vegetation cover and have more entrances. Banded mongooses live in larger groups than dwarf mongooses and this more entrances means more members have access to the den and ventilation. The development of agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
in the continent has had a positive influence on the number of banded mongooses. The crops of the farmland serve as an extra food source.
Food and foraging
Banded mongoose feed primarily on insects, myriapods, small reptiles, and birds. MillipedeMillipede
Millipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment . Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one...
s and beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s made of most of their diet. Ants, crickets, termites, grasshoppers, caterpillars and earwigs are also important parts of their diet. Other prey items of the mongoose includes frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s, small snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s, ground bird and the eggs of both birds and reptiles. On some occasions, mongooses will drink water from rain pools and lake shores.
Banded mongoose groups forage as a unit while each individual finds its own food. They embark on foraging trips every morning for several hours and then retire to shade to rest. They will often have a second foraging trip late in the afternoon. Mongooses use their sense of smell to locate their prey and dig them out with their long claws, both in hole in the ground and holes in trees. Mongoose will also frequent near the dung of large herbivores since they attract millipedes and beetles. Low grunts are produced every few seconds so each mongoose can maintain contact with each other. Mongooses do not share food and will defend food and potential food from each other. When hunting prey that produce noxious secretions, like frogs and millipedes, mongooses will roll them around the ground before eating them. With eggs and hard-shelled prey, like dung beetles, mongoose will clasp the food item between its front paws and throws it behind its hind legs and onto a hard surface like a rock.
Social behaviour
Banded mongooses live in mixed-sex groups of 7–40 individuals (average around 20). Groups sleep together at night in underground dens, often abandoned termite mounds, and change dens frequently (every 2–3 days). When no refuge is available and hard-pressed by predators such as wild dogsAfrican Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
, the group will form a compact arrangement in which they lie on each other with heads facing outwards and upwards.
Relations between groups are highly aggressive and mongooses are sometimes killed and injured during intergroup encounters. Nevertheless, breeding females will often mate with males from a rival group in the midst of a fight. Mongooses use scent markings for territorial demarcation and defensive but may also be used in communicating within social groups. In the society of the banded mongoose there is a clear separation between mating rivals and territorial rivals. Individuals within groups are rivals for mates while those from neighboring groups are competitors for food and resources.
Reproduction
The species is unusual among cooperative vertebrates because most females reproduce in each breeding attempt. All adult females in a group enter oestrus around 10 days after giving birth, and are guarded and mated by 1–3 dominant males. The dominant males monitor the females and aggressively defend them from subordinates. While these males do most of the mating, the females often try to escape from them and mate with other males in the group. Typically a dominant male will guard the same female for 2–3 days before moving on to another one. A guarding male is aggressive towards any male that approaches the female he is guarding. In these situations, aggression is displayed in the form of snaps, lunges and pounces. A guarding male and this female are often trailed by one or two "sneaky" males that wait for an opportunity to mate with the female. These males are the most common targets of the guarding male's aggression. Matings by non-guarding males tend to be more hidden and surreptitious.Gestation is 60–70 days. Around 70% of adult females in the group carry to term, and give birth together in an underground den. In most breeding attempts, all females give birth on exactly the same day. Each female gives birth to 2–5 pups; average litter size is four. Pups are kept underground for the first four weeks of life, during which time they are guarded at the den by 1–3 babysitters while the rest of the group goes off to forage. After four weeks, the pups join the group on foraging trips. Each pup is cared for by a single adult "escort" who helps the pup to find food and protects it from danger. Pups become nutritionally independent at three months of age.
Interspecies relations
In some locations (e.g., Kenya) banded mongooses have been found in close relationship with baboons. They forage together and probably enjoy greater security as a large group because of more eyes on the lookout for predators. The mongooses are handled by baboons of all ages and show no fear of such contact.Banded mongooses have been observed removing ticks and other parasites from warthogs in Kenya and Uganda. The mongooses get food, while the warthogs get cleaned.
Status and abundance
Banded Mongooses are present in numerous protected areas across their wide range on the African continent. In the SerengetiSerengeti
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
of Tanzania, mongooses life at a density of around 3 animals per km2. In southern KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa, mongoose numbers are at a similar density at 2.4 km2. Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park
-Location:The national park is located in western Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri. Its location is approximately , by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The town of Kasese lies just outside the northeastern edge of the park,...
has a much higher population density of mongooses at 18/km2. Overall the banded mongoose tends to be more abundant in the eastern and south-eastern areas of its range than in more western areas.
External links
- Banded Mongoose Research Project
- Species profile bandedmongoose.org