Animal mongoose belongs to the family of mongoose from the class of mammals, the order is predatory. The closest relatives are the wyverns. In the mongoose family, there are about seventeen genera and more than thirty species.
Description
It is believed that the animal mongoose appeared about 65 million years ago, during the Paleocene. These animals are part of the suborder of cat-like, although outwardly more like ferrets.
Although mongooses are animals of prey, but against the background of other carnivorous representatives of the fauna, they look very small. They have an elongated muscular body, reaching 70 cm. The weight of individuals is from 300 grams to 5 kilograms. The tail is conical, approximately two-thirds of the body length.
The head of the animal is neat, with rounded ears, smoothly turning into a muzzle with huge eyes. The animal mongoose has a lot of teeth - about 40 pcs. They are small and designed to bite the skin of a snake.
Representatives of the species have excellent vision, a flexible body, lightning fast reaction. In addition to teeth, claws help to cope with enemies. They are also used for digging underground passages.
The mongoose fur is dense, dense, rescues from snake bites. Different subspecies have a different color: striped, plain.
Subspecies
The most common subspecies of mongoose are:
- white-tailed;
- water;
- striped;
- dwarf;
- yellow;
- black-footed;
- Liberian
- brown;
- Indian;
- ordinary;
- strip cervical;
- crabeater;
- Egyptian.
The best fighters with snakes are considered the ordinary and Indian mongoose. The latter species is capable of killing two meter-long spectacular cobras.
Lifestyle
In nature, the mongoose is a civilian, able to live peacefully with other animals, although there are hermits. They exhibit twilight activity. During the day, activity is observed in those individuals who prefer to live in groups. Meerkats, dwarf and striped species can climb into alien minks without fear of being close to other animals, such as ground squirrels.
Striped or dwarf mongoose animals, the photo of which is presented in the article, often termite mantles, where they leave their offspring and a couple of adults, while others get food. In total, in the family group up to 40 representatives of animals.
In the heat of mongoose grind under the scorching rays of the sun. Their camouflage color helps to hide from prying eyes, animals. Thanks to him, the animals completely merge with the landscape. But even complete secrecy does not give complete rest to the predator. While the group is basking in the sun, the guard is always watching its rest. He warns of danger, monitors the terrain. In the event of a threat, the guard warns the group and she quickly hides.
Life span
Individuals born in large groups are able to live longer than those living in small groups or hermit. This is due to the fact that mongooses are collective and responsible animals. In the event of the death of the parents, other individuals take care of raising orphans.
Mongooses fight for their lives on their own. If a snake bites them suddenly, then to cure the poison, the animal eats the healing root “mangusvail”, which helps to heal.
In nature, mongooses are able to live up to eight years, and in captivity - up to 15.
Where does he live
The habitat of the mongoose is mainly the regions of Asia and Africa, although there are European individuals that are found in southern Europe. The ideal conditions for the life of animals are: wet jungle, savannah, coast of the sea, wooded mountains, deserts and semi-deserts, cities. They can fit sewage pipes, crevices in the rocks, ditches, hollows for their housing. Most individuals lead a land-based lifestyle, and only African and ring-tailed mongooses live on trees. You can find the housing of the mongoose underground, where it creates multi-corridor tunnels. Wandering individuals change their home twice a year.
Diet
And what does mongoose eat in nature and how do they get food? Almost all representatives are looking for food on their own, but there are situations when, for the sake of obtaining large prey, they are combined in flocks. So do dwarf animal representatives.
Mongooses are omnivorous and non-selective, feed on almost everything that the eye falls on. Most of the diet is insects. Less commonly, individuals eat plants and small animals, carrion.
So what do mongooses eat in the wild, what is on their menu? In the diet of animals:
- small rodents;
- insects
- eggs
- birds;
- mammals;
- fruits, roots, leaves, tubers;
- reptiles.
If necessary, mongooses can eat amphibians and other food. So, crabeater mongooses prefer to eat crustaceans. Water representatives of animals do not refuse such a diet. They look for crabs, crustaceans in streams, pulling their sharp claws prey from the muddy bottom.
And what do mongooses eat in the wild, what foods? The animals do not deny themselves the pleasure of eating eggs. They can turn the crocodile’s nest.
Animals can eat spiders, larvae, bugs. They tear insect minks with their claws, and a lightning reaction allows you to quickly grab prey.
Enemies of animals
Mongooses have enemies. They can become prey for birds, leopards, jackals, snakes, caracal and other predatory animals. Most often, enemies catch cubs of mongooses, which do not have time to hide in time.
Adults usually have time to hide, but if she is driven into a corner, then she begins to defend herself. The mongoose arches its back, the hair begins to puff, the tail rises menacingly, a growl, a bark. The animal begins to bite and release a liquid with a specific odor from the anal glands.
Breeding
Reproduction of mongooses is not fully understood. It is known that the female is able to bear up to three cubs. They are born blind, naked. Two weeks later, the babies open their eyes, and before this period they are fully focused on the smell of the mother.
Mongoose pregnancy lasts two months, although there are exceptions. The Indian mongoose carries babies for 40 days, and in a narrow-banded species, pregnancy lasts 100 days.
Newborn animals weigh about 20 grams. In one brood there are up to six babies. The cubs of all the females of the group are always kept together. They can eat not only their mother’s milk, but any other.
Of great interest to scientists is the sexual behavior of dwarf representatives. Usually their community consists of 10 individuals, interconnected by maternal line. This group is run by a monogamous couple, where the queen is played by the oldest individual, and her partner is the deputy. Only this female can reproduce, suppressing the instincts of other animals. Males, not ready to put up with such behavior, often leave for other groups where they can have children.
As soon as cubs appear in the group, the role of the nannies is shifted to males, and the females get food. Babysitters look after newborns and, if necessary, protect them from predators by dragging them in their teeth from one place to another. When the kids grow up and stop eating mother’s milk, they are offered solid food, even later they are taken with them, trained to get food. By the year young growth and is ready for reproduction.
