Yellow Mongoose

Description

This small mammal has a long body and a yellowish reddish coat. The tail is very thick and the same colour as the rest of the body but with a white tip. The chin, throat and upper part of the chest are paler than the rest of the body. Their eyes are orangey brown and the ears are round. They have five fingers on their front legs and 4 toes on their rear ones. 

Behaviour

Their courtship ritual includes purring, stroking, licking and bites on the neck and ears. The cubs are born after a gestation period of 60-62 days inside the burrows they dig. The size of the litter varies from 1 to 5 cubs, which are weaned at 10 weeks. They grow to adult size over the following 10 months. 

Interesting facts

They are diurnal and sociable. They mostly live in small groups of 5-10 animals which can grow to 20. These groups generally consist of a single mating pair, their offspring and relatives. When it is time to sleep, they withdraw to the burrows all at the same time. They often share these burrows with other animals such as meerkats.