The dwarf mongoose is a common critter that is Africa's smallest carnivore. You could spot them in the camp when staying in the Kruger Park or one of the private reserves that form part of Greater Kruger.
Need Advice?These animals have grey fur with an orange-brown undercoat, although the shade may be lighter or darker depending on the region. The dwarf mongoose is much smaller compared to other mongoose species.
They inhabit a significant portion of Africa south of the equator. They occur in Mozambique and parts of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Angola, as well as in the northern parts of South Africa, where the Kruger National Park is situated. Like other species of mongoose, they avoid desert areas.
Dwarf Mongooses are in a very stable state as a species and are in no current harm when pondering their future survival. They are found in astonishingly high numbers in areas where they flourish, namely open savanna or woodland areas. Their population density in places like this is typically around 30 on every square kilometer of land, which, compared to other predatory animals, is relatively high. It is mainly their smaller distribution range and preference for specific habitats and areas that exclude them from the running for most common species of mongoose. However, most species of mongoose are labeled of "least concern."
These very adorable yet surprisingly feisty carnivores live in open savanna, woodland, and grassland areas. Areas like the plains of the Serengeti or the grasslands near Satara in the Kruger National Park are the perfect setting to find these tiny creatures as they inspect termite mounds or rest on them in the heat of the day. Their diet of snakes, birds, rodents, and insects gives them an advantage since the only real competition they deal with is other species of mongoose – the mongoose family has adapted well to fit a particular niche as predators in the African wilderness.
These small creatures form a community in which they groom and care for each other, made up of related and unrelated members and a dominant breeding pair. They are territorial, and much time is spent defending a group's territory and scent-marking its borders. On average, these packs have 7 to 9 members, mostly female. Around 4 to 5 members are generally adults, and the remaining 3 to 4 are juveniles. Each member of the pack fulfills a different social role and helps the clan as a whole to survive. The oldest pair within the pack is the dominant pair, and they are privileged to exclusively produce all the young that make up the next generation of the dwarf mongoose. Other members act as protectors, caretakers, and hunters for the clan, ensuring the young are looked after and fed.
We recommend the following National Parks and Private Reserves for the best chances of spotting the dwarf mongoose on safari game drives and bush walks.
Dwarf mongooses are diurnal. For this reason, you can spot them quite frequently. They are very easily influenced by the weather, with a temperate day higher regarded as favorable and a thundershower or inclement weather regarded as good resting weather. They interact sexually and socially shortly after retrieving food or hunting for the day. When foraging, they keep communication lines open and constantly talk to each other. The calls they make are high-pitched, and there are distinct differences between calls, with different meanings based on the tone and sequence of calls.
When in heat, the external genitals of female mongooses become a slightly redder shade than usual and swell for about four days. Females conceive as early as 15 months of age, though most females only bear young closer to one and a half. Courtship begins when the male licks and smells the female's swollen genitals. They then chase and groom each other before the copulation starts. It may happen over 100 times during the 4-day mating period, but only roughly 20 of these will be complete. A litter of 1 – 6 young will be born a few weeks after the pair mated. They can repeat this cycle 2 to 3 times a year.
A pack of dwarf mongooses that encounter a predator out in the open typically don't employ the "stick together" strategy, mainly due to their size. Instead, they go for the flight option, getting shelter as swiftly as possible and making lots of noise to alert other animals in the vicinity that a predator is lurking. Eagles, like the sizeable martial eagle, are the most common species to feed on mongooses, a fact seen by the sudden reaction of mongooses when an eagle passes overhead.
