Slender Mongoose
Galerella sanguinea
Mammal
| At a Glance | |
| Size | Body: 27 – 40 cm Tail: 23 – 33cm |
| Mass | 575 gram (F) 715 gram (M) |
| Lifespan | 10 years |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
Description
Their body is long and slender, they have short legs and males tend to be larger than females.
The colour of their fur varies greatly between the different subspecies from dark reddish/brown to an orange/brown, yellow and grey, and they often appear speckled. They have a prominent black tip at the end of their tail which gives rise to an alternative common name: Black-tipped Mongoose.
Behaviour
Solitary, but a collective territory may be defended by coalitions of up to four males. This territory may encompass the ranges of several females. Related and unrelated males are included in these coalitions. Territories are not shared by adult females. Both the male and female offspring disperse to find their own space.
They are diurnal but will hunt on moonlit nights.
Diet
The Slender Mongoose feeds primarily on small rodents, reptiles and at times also on birds – and is also known to take invertebrates.
Breeding
A year-round breeder, but births occur more often in the rainy season. They have a gestation period of eight to nine weeks and deliver one or two litters per year, each consisting of between one and three young.
Distribution
It is very common throughout most of KZN except the drier Northern KZN area. It is also common in most of sub-Saharan Africa – it is not found in the Eastern and Western Cape regions.
Habitat
The Slender Mongoose Inhabits open woodland savannah, within which they favour more heavily wooded areas. They have a den that is in a sheltered area such as a hollow log or a crevice between rocks and they may share their dens with other species.
Threats
They do not have many enemies but are sometimes prey to eagles. Poultry farmers often treat them as pests.
Local Information
Krantzkloof Nature Reserve
One of the few mammals that visitors are likely to see because they move about in daytime. You are most likely to spot them near any of the grasslands and in particular near the Lingwood Trig Beacon, the Ntombeni Grasslands or Nkutu grasslands. They have also been spotted in the grasslands near the Molweni River
Krantzkloof boasts 5 species of mongoose. The most common after the Slender Mongoose are the Water Mongoose (Atilax paludinosus), followed by the Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo), the Large Grey Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) and the White-tailed Mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda). A number of melanistic (with black tails) White Tailed Mongoose have been recorded in the reserve.
Memorial Park
In the park you are likely to see the Slender Mongoose in the grasslands while the Water Mongoose is likely to be found along the streams - look for the spoor in the muddy sections!
Interesting Facts
Slender mongoose are fearless fighters and will kill most species of snake.
They will climb trees unlike any of the other mongoose
Video
A video clip is available on YouTube.