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One banded mongoose peers over the back of another

Banded mongoose

Banded mongooses are native to Africa and distributed far and wide south of the Sahara. They live in most places except the dry desert areas. Pack life is important to these small carnivores, who communally look after and protect the young, elderly and injured. The pack wanders between dens, moving to another every three to four days. The characteristic sniffing and scratching while foraging for food is typically done individually, but sometimes there is co-operation to bring down larger prey such as snakes.

Scientific name: Mungos mungo

Rank: Species

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Distribution

Map showing the distribution of the Banded mongoose taxa

Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.

The Banded mongoose can be found in a number of locations including: Africa. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the Banded mongoose distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Tropical grassland Tropical grassland
Tropical grasslands include the savanna usually associated with Africa, and savanna-type grasslands found in India, Australia, Nepal and the Americas. They are characterised by drought-resistant shrubs and grasses, dotted with trees such as acacias or baobabs.

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

Conservation Status

Least Concern

  1. EX - Extinct
  2. EW
  3. CR - Threatened
  4. EN - Threatened
  5. VU - Threatened
  6. NT
  7. LC - Least concern

Population trend: Stable

Year assessed: 2008

Classified by: IUCN 3.1

About

The banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) is a mongoose commonly found in the central and eastern parts of Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds. While most mongoose species live solitary lives, the banded mongoose live in colonies with a complex social structure.

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Classification

  1. Life
  2. Animals
  3. Vertebrates
  4. Mammals
  5. Carnivora
  6. Mongooses
  7. Mungos
  8. Banded mongoose

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