Banded Mongoose

Mungos mungo

Animal Class: Mammals

Length: 12-18 inches

Weight: 3.25-5.5 pounds

Lifespan: Up to 12 years

Diet: Mainly feed on invertebrates including insects, centipedes, lizards, snakes and frogs. They also eat roots, fruit, eggs and small rodents.

Habitat: Can be found on open savannas, open forests and grasslands in Africa

Description: Banded Mongoose have a large head with small ears, a long tail and short muscular limbs. Their fur is brown in color and they have several dark brown/black stripes on their back and down the sides of their body. Banded Mongoose have been seen removing ticks from warthogs in Kenya and Uganda. This symbiotic relationship benefits both species, the Banded Mongoose feed while the warthogs are cleaned.

Our Animals: The Zoo has a group of banded mongoose that varies in size.