IUCN status: Least Concern
Mungos mungo
Banded mongooses are one of the most social species of mongoose, living in packs of 10-20 individuals. They are fairly nomadic, only staying in a den for a few days at a time before moving on and will often return to their favourite spots. Although they can dig their own burrows with their sharp claws they prefer to use natural hollows or other animal dens such as termite mounds.
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Lifespan: Up to 15 years
Weight: Up to 1.3kg
Length: 36cm
Diet: Carnivore
Did you know?: Banded mongooses are active during the day and sleep at night
Diet
Banded mongooses are carnivores. Their diet mainly consists of insects but they will also eat fallen fruits, rodents, bird eggs, scorpions, slugs, snails and snakes.
Habitat
Banded mongooses are native from the Sahel to Southern Africa in savannas, open forests and grasslands.
Threats
The banded mongooses have no major threats.
Conservation
These animals are candidates for future rewilding. Sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with all our news and events.
