For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Slender Mongoose

They appear and disapear so fast, that it is almost impossible to get pictures of them.

They can be identified by their distinct long thin tail with black tip which is curled upwards.


When it is overcast and cloudy, they stay indoors and are not seen.

The hair at the end of their tails can be up to 5cm longer than the last vertebrae.

As a defensive mechanism or when excited, they will raise the hairs on the body and tail making them look bigger.

Food consists mainly of insects, especially grasshoppers but they also eat mice, wild fruit and lizards.

1 comment:

Gaelyn said...

Don't think I saw any of these. Yet seems all the mongoose and pretty fast.