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Dwarf Mongoose
Our family of dwarf mongooses includes dad Rhubarb and mum Custard and their seven offspring: Spog, Flump, Shrimp, Bon Bon, Smartie, Jelly Bean, and Tutti Frutti.
Class:
Mammals
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Herpestidae
About the dwarf mongoose
As the name suggests, dwarf mongoose are the smallest carnivore in Africa, measuring around 18–26cm long. They are found in woodland, savannah and scrub across eastern and southern Africa, from Ethiopia to Namibia. This species has a mutualistic relationship with hornbills... They have been observed foraging together and alerting each other of danger using alarm calls.
These tiny carnivores mainly eat insects and other invertebrates, but have been found to eat small rodents, reptiles, eggs and occasionally fruit.
Dwarf mongooses live in matriarchal societies, with the highest-ranking mongoose in a pack often being a dominant female, who will be in a monogamous partnership with the second-in-command.
Conservation
Dwarf mongoose currently face no major threats and are common across their range, which is why they are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.