Mongoose - Life History

Life History

In contrast to the arboreal, nocturnal viverrids, mongooses are more commonly terrestrial and many are active during the day.

The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is sometimes held as an example of a solitary mongoose, though it has been observed to work in groups.

The meerkat, or suricate (Suricata suricatta), a smaller species, lives in troops of 20 to 30 consisting of an alpha male and female, usually together with their siblings and offspring, in open country in Southern Africa (Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa). The meerkat is a small, diurnal mammal that forages for invertebrates in open country. Its behavior and small size (it weighs less than 2 pounds (0.91 kg)) make it vulnerable to larger carnivores and birds of prey. However, it eats small migrating birds.

To protect the foraging troops from predators, one meerkat serves as a lookout that climbs to a vantage point and watches for danger. If the sentinel detects a predator, it gives a loud alarm to warn the troop and indicate whether the threat comes from the air or the ground: if from the air, the meerkats rush to the nearest hole; if from the ground, the troop flees. They are more able to evade terrestrial predators than raptors.