| Common dwarf mongoose | |
|---|---|
_(6002158282).jpg) | |
| in Kruger National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Genus: | Helogale |
| Species: | H. parvula |
| Binomial name | |
| Helogale parvula Sundevall, 1847 | |
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| native range | |
Thecommon dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) is amongoosespecies native to Angola, northernBotswana, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia andEast Africa.[1] It is part of the genusHelogale, along with theEthiopian dwarf mongoose.
The common dwarf mongoose has soft fur ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown. It has a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs and long claws. With a body length of 16–23 cm (6.3–9.1 in) and a weight of 213–341 g (7.5–12.0 oz), it is Africa's smallest member of the order Carnivora.[2]
The common dwarf mongoose ranges fromEast to southernCentral Africa, fromEritrea andEthiopia to the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the Republic of South Africa. It inhabits primarily drygrassland, open forests andbushland up to an elevation of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It is especially common in areas with manytermite mounds, its favorite sleeping place. It avoids dense forests and deserts.[1]
The common dwarf mongoose is adiurnal animal.[3] Dwarf mongooses are territorial, and each group uses an area of approximately 30-60 hectares (depending on the type of habitat). They sleep at night in disused termite mounds, although they occasionally use piles of stones, hollow trees, etc. The mongooses mark their territory with anal gland and cheek gland secretions andlatrines. Territories often overlap slightly, which can lead to confrontations between different groups, with the larger group tending to win.[citation needed]
The main predators of dwarf mongoose are predatory birds such as raptors andmarabou storks, reptiles such as snakes andmonitor lizards, and other carnivorous mammals such as jackals and larger mongooses.[3]
Amutualistic relationship has evolved between the dwarf mongoose andhornbills, in which hornbills seek out the mongooses in order for the two species to forage together, and to warn each other of nearbybirds of prey and other predators.[4]
It is a social animal, with an average group size of twelve individuals,[3][5] but larger packs can exceed thirty members. Packs are organized around a strict hierarchy, with females holding higher positions than males within each age class. Each pack is structured around a single breeding pair, the breeding female of which holds the highest social position while her mate holds the second highest. Younger members and immigrant individuals do not typically reproduce, but instead care for and feed juveniles. Other females may reproduce during good conditions, but their litters rarely survive to adulthood.[3] The breeding pair of a dwarf mongoose colony is given priority access to food and protection from subordinate members, and rarely has to defend against predators.[6] The breeding male is most often responsible for suppressing reproduction among other colony members by confronting them directly when this is attempted, typically with a low-intensity threat posture, which causes the pair to cease their attempted reproduction and retreat. The female of the pair often grooms the alpha male afterwards as an appeasement behavior.[5]
Dispersal and the funding of new packs are relatively rare, and group splits occur most often when the dominant female dies. Non-breeders occasionally transfer between different packs, typically at their second or third year of age and during the rain season, which can result in their obtaining a shorter "queue" for becoming part of the breeding pair of the new pack.[3]
Dwarf mongooses tend to breed during the wet season, between November and May, where the breeding female may produce up to three litters, containing an average of four pups each after a gestation period of 49 to 53 days. The pups nurse for a period of 45 days, during which they may be nursed by subordinate females. Juveniles begin foraging alongside adults at around six weeks of age, and reach sexual maturity at three years of life. Their maximum lifespan is around 18 years.[3]
The primary diet of the common dwarf mongoose consists of invertebrates, chieflyinsects such as beetle larvae,termites,grasshoppers andcrickets, alongsidespiders andscorpions. Secondary food sources include small vertebrates, eggs, and fruit.[3]
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