Indian Gray Mongoose
Encyclopedia
The Indian Gray Mongoose or Common Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) is a species
of mongoose
mainly found in southern Asia mainly India
, Pakistan
, Nepal
, Sri Lanka
and some other parts of Asia. The gray mongoose is commonly found in open forests, scrub lands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrow
s, hedgerows and thickets, among groves of trees, taking shelter under rocks or bushes and even in drains. It is very bold and inquisitive but wary, seldom venturing far from cover. It climbs well. Usually found singly or in pairs. It preys on rodents, snakes, birds’ eggs and hatchlings, lizards and variety of invertebrates. Along the Chambal
river it occasionally feeds on gharial
eggs. It breeds throughout the year.
A mongoose cracks eggs open by standing with its back to a wall and throwing the eggs under its body and between its back legs so that the eggs break against the wall.
Indian gray mongooses are often kept as pets to keep houses free from rats and other pests.
The mongoose closes its outer ear when hunting in soil
to keep out dirt and water.
to snake
. The mongoose is a skillful hunter that actively searches for prey by using its strong senses of smell and sight. It eats anything it can catch. The Indian gray mongoose commonly eats small mammals such as rats, as well as eggs and a variety of insects, including the scorpion
. The mongoose sniffs the ground and turns over rocks and stones in its search for prey. If the animal tries to flee, the mongoose chases it. It kills its prey while they are both running by delivering a bite to the neck or head. Although the mongoose eats snakes, including the poisonous cobra
the main part of its diet consists of small animals that live on or under the ground. The mongoose is a fast and agile hunter. It is always watchful for prey.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of mongoose
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"...
mainly found in southern Asia mainly India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and some other parts of Asia. The gray mongoose is commonly found in open forests, scrub lands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
s, hedgerows and thickets, among groves of trees, taking shelter under rocks or bushes and even in drains. It is very bold and inquisitive but wary, seldom venturing far from cover. It climbs well. Usually found singly or in pairs. It preys on rodents, snakes, birds’ eggs and hatchlings, lizards and variety of invertebrates. Along the Chambal
Chambal
Chambal may refer to:* Chambal Jatt* Chambal Division* Chambal River...
river it occasionally feeds on gharial
Gharial
The gharial , , also called Indian gavial or gavial, is the only surviving member of the once well-represented family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodilians with long, slender snouts...
eggs. It breeds throughout the year.
Description
The Indian grey mongoose, or common grey mongoose is a medium sized tawny or yellowish grey with a lighter underside, darker feet (this separates it from the syntopic Small Asian Mongoose), and dark red tail tip. They have a reddish tint to their heads. Their tail length equals their body length. Body length: 14-17 inches (36-45cm) Tail length: 17 inches (45 cm), weight: 2-4 lb. (0.89-1.7kg). Males are significantly larger than the females. Mongooses can see colors, unlike most mammals, which have only partial color vision.A mongoose cracks eggs open by standing with its back to a wall and throwing the eggs under its body and between its back legs so that the eggs break against the wall.
Indian gray mongooses are often kept as pets to keep houses free from rats and other pests.
The mongoose closes its outer ear when hunting in soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
to keep out dirt and water.
Feeding
Being carnivorous it feeds on many species ranging from ratRat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
to 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...
. The mongoose is a skillful hunter that actively searches for prey by using its strong senses of smell and sight. It eats anything it can catch. The Indian gray mongoose commonly eats small mammals such as rats, as well as eggs and a variety of insects, including the scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
. The mongoose sniffs the ground and turns over rocks and stones in its search for prey. If the animal tries to flee, the mongoose chases it. It kills its prey while they are both running by delivering a bite to the neck or head. Although the mongoose eats snakes, including the poisonous cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
the main part of its diet consists of small animals that live on or under the ground. The mongoose is a fast and agile hunter. It is always watchful for prey.