Mongoose
A mongoose is a small predator with a slim body and short limbs that belongs to the mongoose family.
There are two species from the genus Herpestes :
- Indian mongoose ( Herpestes edwardsii )
- Little Mongoose ( Herpestes javanicus )
The family also includes the genus Mungos . This group includes the zebra mongoose ( Mungos mungo ), from where the name “striped mongoose” may come from.
General
Mongoose have an elongated, slender body with short limbs. Their fur is usually grayish or brownish in color, the legs and the tip of the tail can be a little darker. Their head torso length varies between 25 and 45 centimeters and their weight between 0.4 and 1.7 kilograms.
In contrast to most other species of mongoose, mongooses live in Asia , where their original range extends from the Arabian Peninsula to Java . For pest control reasons, they have been introduced in numerous regions, including the Caribbean islands , several Pacific islands, Mauritius , Réunion , the Japanese Ryūkyū islands, as well as central Italy and some Croatian islands .
Mongoose are diurnal animals that normally live as solitary animals, but sometimes stay together as loose family groups. During the day they leave their caves and look for food. They feed on small vertebrates , insects , scorpions and other invertebrates , but also on fruits.
For more detailed biological descriptions see the two species articles Indian mongoose and small mongoose .
Mongoose and people
The name mongoose is an abbreviation of mongoose and ultimately of Dravidian origin.
The mongoose became known through a story by Rudyard Kipling , which is part of his jungle book and is about Rikki-tikki-tavi , the brave mongoose.
Old Sanskrit texts (e.g. the Mahabharata and the Panchatantra ) contain descriptions of the battles of the mongoose against the cobra . The mongoose appears in Indian fables as the protector of humanity, which it protects from attacks by snakes. In fact, the mongoose does not kill a cobra immediately, but usually only after a fight lasting several minutes. However, it is not immune to the snake venom. Because of its speed, such a fight is associated with low risk for the mongoose. He lets the cobra thrust repeatedly, avoiding each time until the snake is so tired that it can be easily killed. If a mongoose is bitten in a fight like this, the cobra with its short fangs often does not penetrate its thick, bushy fur.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899