Banded Mongoose

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

Banded mongooses are middle-sized mongooses with a head-body length of about 47 cm, a tapered tail of 28 cm, and a weight of about 1.4 kgs. They are characterized by a series of thin, dark bands across the back, which are most noticeable on lower back and fade away on lower flanks. The body colour ranges from whitish to reddish-brown, with variation among specimens, with darker legs and tail tip. They have five fingers on each hand, and four toes on each foot. Their fore claws are longer and more curved than their back claws and are used for scratching and digging. The muzzle is relatively long and conical in shape. They lack a groove on their upper lip, found in other mongoose species. There is no apparent sexual dimorphism. Females have three pairs of abdominal teats.

Banded mongooses are social animals living in matriarchally organized bands of about 30, sometimes up to 75 individuals. Every member of the group will care for the very young and the elderly, providing food and protection, as well as grooming them. They are diurnal, emerging from their dens, usually a termite mound, in the morning sun and returning to them in the late afternoon Banded mongooses tend to be nomadic, as they will not stay in a particular area for more than a couple of days to a week.

Females become sexually mature around 9 to 10 months of age. There are usually 3-4 breeding females in one band, which seem to inhibit breeding of lower ranked females and about as many reproductive males. Gestation is approximately 2 months, and litter size is variable, ranging from two to six. The cubs are born blind with a sparse amount of hair and will leave the den at the age for short excursions around 4 weeks of age.

Did you know?
that the word mongoose comes from the Marathi (Indian) word mangus? By the way, the plural is mongooses, not mongeese, even if the British Scrabble Players Association pretends the contrary!

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	CARNIVORA
Suborder	FISSIPEDIA
Family	HERPESTIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Mungos mungo
Name (English)	Banded Mongoose
Name (French)	Mangouste rayée
Name (German)	Zebramanguste
Name (Spanish)	Mangosta rayada
Local names	Afrikaans: Gebande muishondchi isiNdebele: Usikibhororisi Shona: Dzvoro Sotho: Letodise Swahili: Nkuchirose Swati: Lichacha Tswana: Letototo, Ramoswesi Zulu: Ubuhala, Ubuhayeki
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
John Spaedtke

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Africa
Habitat	Grasslands, woodlands, rocky country and riverine areas
Wild population	Unknown
Zoo population	380 reported to ISIS

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 78 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Adrian Pingstone

Why do zoos keep this animal

The banded mongoose is not an endangered species. Diurnal mongooses are however very attractive species, and because they are always busy and display an interesting social life, and are ideal species for educational purposes. Banded mongoose may be kept in mixed exhibits, e.g. together with rock dassies, small antelopes, like steenbok, or hornbills.

How this animal should be kept

Banded mongoose are social animals, which should be kept in groups of compatible animals. In temperate and cold climates, they must have both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. Minimum requirements per pair: indoors surface 8 m², for each additional animal 10% more, outdoor enclosure 16 m², for each additional animal 10% more. Considering that groups of animals that are overpopulating their space have a greater tendency to have social challenges leading to more difficult management, it is recommended however to design enclosures where the mongoose will spend at least 70% of their normally active time much larger, about 30 m² for the first two animals, adding more space for each additional adult.

Indoor room temperature must be at least 15°C, and humidity should be kept rather low. Hot spots (radiators) should be provided indoors and outdoors.

Enclosures for banded mongoose must be furnished with communal sleeping areas with internal nest/den boxes, food and water stations, and covered sleeping/hiding spots, which should be located on the ground. Other relevant features of banded mongoose enclosures are look-outs and basking spots. Visual barriers are very important for the good functioning of mongoose groups. Mongoose benefit from visual barriers such as deadfall, rockwork, etc. which allows more subordinate individuals to escape from constant monitoring by more dominant individuals.

Natural materials should be chosen as substrates for banded mongoose because they allow for natural digging behaviour, are easy on their feet, and certain materials will help to maintain good nail condition and length. Substrates can be placed on concrete floors to facilitate periodic cleaning; in this case, all substrate should be removed at least once a year for cleaning and disinfecting of the surface below. Where it is not possible to provide sufficient natural substrate, a digging area with drainage is recommended. Hollow logs may also serve this purpose.

Food should consist of mice, one-day old chicks, chopped meat, scattered eggs, insects, worms and chopped fruit. The animals must at all times have access to clean drinking water.

All faecal material and unconsumed food should be removed daily. Sanitation of feeding stations should take place at least every other day, daily is preferred. Sanitation of water containers, including bowls, water bottles, and other water features should take place at least weekly. Sanitation of latrine areas should take place at least once weekly, more often if necessary. Mongoose scent mark their enclosure. When cleaning, some of the scent-marking areas should not be sanitized.