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Banded Mongoose

Mungos mungo

Quick Facts

Scientific name: Mungos mungo
Class: Mammal
Weight: Up to 5 pounds
Diet: Omnivore
Lifespan in the wild: 10 years
Lifespan in professional care: 17 years
Conservation status: Least concern
Number of offspring: 2 to 8 pups at a time

About

I LIVE IN AFRICA

Banded mongooses live in Africa and might be found anywhere from Gambia to northeast Ethiopia and south of the border of South Africa. This species can live in a variety of habitats, including savannas, grasslands, shrublands, and forests.


I AM AN OMNIVORE

The mongooses’ diet includes insects and other invertebrates, birds, rodents, fallen fruit, and snakes.


BANDED MONGOOSES ARE SOCIAL

Banded mongoose can often be found living in groups of 5 to 30 mongooses, also known as a troop. They often live together in underground burrows that have been abandoned by other animals.


MASTER OF COMMUNICATION

Living in large groups means finding ways to communicate with one another. Banded mongooses make a variety of calls and sounds and mark their territory using a scent that they secrete.


HELPING THE BANDED MONGOOSE IN THE WILD

The banded mongooses at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo are enrolled in the Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP program implemented by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to help ensure that a genetically viable population exists


I AM IMPORTANT TO MY ECOSYSTEM

As an insectivore, the banded mongoose helps keep the insect population under control.

Conservation

Learn more about our efforts, our conservation partners around the world, and the simple steps you can take to contribute.

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