~ This page was made as part of an undergraduate course at Davidson
College ~
Background
Information & Habitat
Dwarf mongooses live in areas where they could easily
hide from potential predators [Photo courtesy of P&H
Harris. Permission Pending].
What
exactly do dwarf mongooses look like?
The dwarf mongoose has a most appropriate name-- it is the smallest
carnivore in Africa. It measures only 400 millimeters in length, and half
that is just its tail. Its body is elongated with a long body and tail, but
short legs, and its face has a pointed muzzle. It weights about 11 ounces,
but the dominant female is always about 30% bigger than her mate and her offspring.
The dwarf mongoose has a coat of short fur that is mostly black or dark brown,
but is speckled with gleaming strands of white or off-white. Its feet have
no hair at all and they have sharp claws (Africam).
Where do I go to
find one of these adorable creatures?
The dwarf mongoose is native to southeastern
parts of Africa, predominantly in the countries of Ethiopia, southern Somalia,
northeastern parts of South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Botswana.
It prefers savanna areas, specifically semi-desert and dry, open woodlands and
grasslands. It occupies a range of altitude from sea level to about 1,800 feet
(Postanowicz).
A map of Africa. Black areas depict
the presence of dwarf mongooses [Photo courtesy of Postanowicz].
I don't see them!
Where are they hiding?
Dwarf mongooses might be hard to spot because they live in dens. They will
usually make their dens in termite mounds, but they will also make them in
areas of woody vegetation like thickets, open woodlands or scattered bush
(Estes). Dwarf mongooses prefer multi-holed termite mounds located in thickets
that were close to cover. 56% of dens were used more than once and 70% of
dens were of Odontotermes badius termites. They tend to use a den
for a night and then move on the next day. There are about 1.73 dens per acre.
There is an annual den loss of 39%, but packs tend to use known dens in their
territories in lieu of living in new dens (Hiscocks & Perrin).
A few dwarf mongooses peek outside
of their den [Photo courtesy of CC
Africa. Permission Pending].
What do these critters
eat?
Dwarf mongooses enjoy a variety of foods. While they will eat fruits and
vegetables, their carnivorous side shines in their preference for invertebrates
and a few small vertebrates. They really like beetles, termite, snails, locusts,
and other such animals. Their sharp claws allow them to scratch through the
ground for invertebrate prey (Africam).
A hungry dwarf mongoose chows down
on one of his favorite foods-- a beetle [Photo courtesy of Ross
Warner ].