Small, quick mammals, the mongooses are famous as killers of cobras and other poisonous snakes. There are more than 40 different species, or kinds, of mongooses living in Africa, Asia, and southern Europe. The Indian gray mongoose was made famous as “Rikki-tikki-tavi” in British author Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. The South African suricate, or meerkat, is closely related to the mongooses.

Physical features

Mongooses are small and have short legs, pointed noses, small ears, and long, furry tails. Their hair ranges in color from gray to brown. Some kinds of mongooses are marked with stripes or flecks, and others have pale or ringed tails. The smallest species is the dwarf mongoose, which can be as little as 7 inches (18 centimeters) long, not including the tail. The largest is the small-toothed mongoose, which can be as long as 36 inches (91 centimeters).

Behavior

The dwarf mongoose and the banded mongoose live in large groups, but other kinds live alone or in pairs. Most mongooses live in burrows. Some make their homes in old termite mounds. Most mongooses live on land, though the water mongoose and a few others spend some of their time in water. Mongooses feed on small mammals, birds, reptiles, eggs, and occasionally fruit.

Mongooses are very active and quick. When a mongoose attacks a snake, it darts at the reptile's head, trying to crack the skull with a powerful bite. Indian gray mongooses are not immune to cobra venom (poison), but they seem to have more resistance to it than other mammals of about the same size. In addition to the Indian gray, other killers of poisonous snakes are the spotted mongoose and the African ichneumon.

Female mongooses give birth to litters of two to four young. The ichneumon has only one litter per year, but other kinds have two or three. Young of the spotted mongoose feed on their mother's milk until the age of 4 or 5 weeks.

Environmental issues

In the late 1800s people brought mongooses to Hawaii and the island of Jamaica in the West Indies in the hope that they would kill rodents and snakes. Unfortunately, the mongooses went on to kill many rare and useful native animals as well. Because they are so destructive, mongooses can be brought into the United States only under strict regulation.