Mongoose Facts

About the mongoose

The family splits into two subfamilies: one with 23 species across southern Europe, Africa and Asia, and another with 11 species found only in Africa. A large introduced population also lives in Hawaii. Mongooses mostly eat insects, rodents, reptiles and birds. They range from 24 to 58 cm long, not counting the tail, and weigh between 320 g and 5 kg.

Their most famous trick is surviving snake venom. A mutation in a nerve receptor keeps the venom's toxin from attaching, an adaptation found in at least four groups of mammals. Social life varies: some mongooses live alone, others in pairs or big groups. In ancient Mesopotamia, mongooses were sacred to a deity linked to protection against snakes. The family dates back roughly 21.8 million years to the Early Miocene.

Did you know?

• Most mongoose coats are brindled or grizzled, and some show dark legs and stripes.
• Keeping a mongoose as a pet is banned in the United States.
• New Zealand bars importing every mongoose species except one, Suricata suricatta.