Indian Grey Mongoose

Description:

The Indian Grey Mongoose’s coat is coarse and fairly long, and greyish to light brown in color, with the individual hairs banded black and white, giving an overall grizzled appearance. The muzzle, cheeks, edges of the ears and feet have a rusty brown tinge. Males are significantly larger than the females. Mongooses can see colors, unlike most mammals, which have only partial color vision. A number of subspecies of Indian Grey Mongoose are recognized, although a revision of these are needed.

Habitat:

Thicket, urban area.

Notes:

The Indian Grey Mongoose is generally solitary, though the young may stay with the female for some time. It commonly eats small mammals such as rats, as well as eggs and a variety of arthropods, including the scorpion. Although the mongoose eats snakes, including the venomous cobra, the main part of its diet consists of small animals that live on or under the ground. The mongoose is a fast and agile hunter having a thick coat, and acetylcholine receptors, which render them resistant or immune to snake venom. The mongoose can also move backward in a straight line for short distances. By rolling into a ball and jumping up on its hind legs, it can leap high into the air. The mongoose is active during the day, when it hunts.