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Slender Mongoose

on Aug 23, 2019

Species name: Slender Mongoose
Scientific Name: Galerella sanguinea
Weight: Male: 500-800g - Female: 380-550g
Shoulder Height: Male: 10cm - Female: 10cm
General Habitat: They occur anywhere from open savanna plains and grasslands to woodland areas, as long as there are enough areas for them to seek shelter.
Diet: They will eat a variety of insects, birds, lizards, small mammals such as mice and even fruit.

01Frederik Aucamp Slender Mongoose 07 07 2019  Final

They have a slender body appearance hence their name, “Slender Mongoose” and their fur coat is rustic red brown in colour with a black tipped tail.

You don’t get to see Slender Mongooses too often as they normally dash away when being approached. They are usually solitary, but males have been recorded to form coalitions of up to four. Females tend to be more solitary than males and will only be seen with males when they are ready to mate.

Slender Mongooses are diurnal animals, meaning they will be active for most of the day and will spend their evenings in their den site. Their den sites usually consist of old termite mounds, amongst rocky areas, or they will even dig their own den site. On very hot days, they will find shade in thickly vegetated areas and wait for it to cool down in the afternoon before continuing their hunt for food.

They must be careful because birds of prey are one of their worst enemies. When danger is spotted, they will normally utter a chirping call and all of them will run for cover. Even though they are small, they can defend themselves quite well against other predators. They might not be able to fight off a big bird of prey, like a Martial Eagle, but they have been known to stand their ground against large venomous snakes and other intruders, especially when protecting their young.

My Memorable Sighting

Sightings of Slender Mongooses are few and far between, but when you do see them, they normally dash away within a second or two, they hardly give you a chance to admire their beauty or even take a photo of them. I would say that my most memorable sightings of Slender Mongooses are when they at least give us a couple of minutes to view them. One of these occasions was on a winter’s morning safari where we came across two Slender Mongooses who were basking in the sun next to their den site which was an old termite mound. Come join us on a Sabi Sabi safari if you want to learn more about the elusive Slender Mongoose.

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  • Blog by Frederik Aucamp (Little Bush Camp Ranger)
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