WildlifeCampus – The Behaviour Guide to African Carnivores 1
Module # 2 – Component # 5
Slender mongoose
Herpestes sanguineus
TRAITS
The most weasel-like mongoose: long, sinuous body with short legs and equally
long, tapering tail with (usually) a black tip. a.k.a. black-tipped mongoose.
Weight and length: males 637 g (523 - 789), head and body 32 cm, tail 28 cm;
females 459 g (373 - 565), head and body 29 cm, tail 26 cm (Zimbabwe series).
Sharp face with rounded, very broad, low ears; carnassial teeth relatively large
and sharp; feet narrow with first digit much reduced and short, curved claws.
Coat: sleeker, silkier, and shorter than in most mongooses, with abundant guard
hairs little longer than the dense underfur.
Colouration: variable, generally speckled, from brindled gray to dark brown
(darkest in forest and montane habitats, e. g., black in Ngorongoro Crater
Highlands), red eyes (greenish gray at birth).
Scent glands: in anal sac, glandular skin on chest and cheek/eyebrow area.
Mammae: 4.
DISTRIBUTION
One of the most widespread and successful African carnivores, found south of
the Sahara virtually wherever there is cover, except in deserts.
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WildlifeCampus – The Behaviour Guide to African Carnivores 2
ECOLOGY
The most predaceous of the mongooses, this species is an efficient killer of small
vertebrates (chiefly rodents, lizards, snakes, birds). It also eats some insects
(grasshoppers, fly pupae, termites), but rarely fruit. Diurnal and very active when
foraging, it is often glimpsed darting across roads. It sleeps and takes refuge in
termite mounds, rock piles and crevices, holes in the ground and tree bases.
SOCIAL ORGANISATION
Solitary, diurnal, overlapping male-female territories as in palm civet.
Although this mongoose has yet to be closely studied in the wild, opportunistic
observations of individuals captured and marked during a study of other
mongooses in Serengeti N.P. suggest a territorial and polygynous spacing/mating
system. There, mature males maintain territories of at least 50 ha which typically
encompass the territories of 2 females. The ranges of adult females are mutually
exclusive, but 2 adult males often forage in the same area, usually at different
times but occasionally within sight of each other. When 2 such pairs were
captured and weighed, 1 proved to be much heavier (739 vs. 579 and 758 vs.
657 g), suggesting that, as in palm civets, a dominant male may tolerate
subordinate males on his property as long as they don't compete reproductively.
In one (unusual) case, 2 males and a female came daily for 4 days to a giraffe kill,
where they fed exclusively on carrion-fly larvae that they dug up from beneath the
carcass. Each was independent but at times the 2 males foraged simultaneously.
Normally they kept at least 2 m apart but once, when approaching from different
directions, they met up in dense brush. With tails elevated and backs partly
arched, they confronted each other, noses almost touching. Then they lunged
and grasped each other with their forefeet, and rolled over and over giving high-
pitched shrieks. After 5 seconds one broke away and ran into a nearby thicket. As
usual except during oestrus, the female did not interact with either male.
However, one male was known to share a drainpipe for 4 months with a female
and her young and even to go hunting with them. Male tolerance of the young has
also been observed during consortship with oestrous females, the male greeting
kittens nose-to-nose and even allowing them to climb on his neck in play.
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WildlifeCampus – The Behaviour Guide to African Carnivores 3
ACTIVITY
Daytime activity varies according to climate and weather conditions. Slender
mongooses observed in South Africa became active before full daylight and spent
the noon hours resting and sunning. In East Africa it is often a late riser and may
sun near its shelter on warm mornings, stretched out on its belly, curled on its
side, or standing broadside with hair erected and belly skin pulled around to catch
the early rays, head held forward and low. Individuals have been seen feeding in
sunlight on hot days (shade temperature of 35°C) without evident distress.
On cold overcast days they may remain in cover and in any case they retire for
the night before dark.
POSTURES AND LOCOMOTION
Endowed with quick reflexes and sinuous grace, a foraging slender mongoose
slips silently between grass tussocks and through narrow openings. It travels at a
fast trot along regular pathways, tail low with just the tip raised, slowing to a walk
as it casts about for scent or sound of prey, nose to ground and back slightly
humped. A slender mongoose runs with a bounding gallop and when pursued or
excited changes to a flat, undulating run, flipping its tail vertically like a squirrel
just before disappearing into cover. It can change direction in full flight, often by
leaping at and caroming off objects, and can spring over 1 m vertically with ease.
It also moves backward surprisingly fast, as when playing with prey or retreating
from a suspicious object. Though primarily terrestrial, sanguineus is by far the
best climber in the mongoose subfamily. Its short, curved claws (poorly adapted
for digging) enable sanguineus to scamper up trees and along branches like a
squirrel, and to descend head first. It shinnies up smooth tree trunks, embracing
them with the forelegs and thrusting with the hindlegs. When startled, it freezes
motionless, and when viewing something strange, it stands staring intently (fig.
19.17), head craned forward and moved up and down while it sways from side to
side. Like other mongooses, sanguineus hurls eggs, nuts, millipedes, and (in
play) other hard objects between its legs against rocks.
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PREDATORY BEHAVIOUR
Slender mongooses employ all their faculties to locate and capture prey, typically
pouncing upon or chasing after small vertebrates or insects flushed from hiding
during exploratory foraging. Grasshoppers may be followed and put to flight
repeatedly and are sometimes caught in midair.
A well fed pet female frequently played with her catch, particularly mice and other
vertebrates. She would push a prey with her nose or tap it lightly with a paw to
make it move, then chase and recapture it. When there was no further response,
the mongoose would end the game with a single killing bite to the head/neck
area. No death shake was observed, although a dead quarry was often thrown
about or shaken. After killing its prey, a mongoose retires to a safe place to eat it.
Vertebrates are eaten from the head downward, without skinning or plucking; the
mongoose eats into the carcass, leaving only the skin, tail, and feet.
Prey Reactions
Birds and small mammals (hyraxes, dwarf mongooses, squirrels) react to the
presence of a slender mongoose with alarm calls. Small birds mob and scold this
predator and cats in the same way, whereas dwarf and banded mongooses go on
the offensive if a slender mongoose comes near a pack with young.
SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: COMMUNICATION
Olfactory Communication:
Scent-marking with urine and dung, cheek, chest, and anal glands.
Both sexes urinate and defecate at latrines that are regularly visited. A tame pair
also urine-marked any strange object. Marking with the anal glands, by the male,
was observed only during the mating season, although the female squirted or
dribbled pungent fluid from the anal sac in fright and self-defence. The slender
mongoose also rubs its cheeks on objects, and during oestrus the female may
grasp another mongoose and rub her chest on it.
Slender mongoose © WildlifeCampus
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Vocal Communication:
Growling, spitting, caterwauling, shrieking, tschaarrr alarm call, haah haah sound,
whoo contact call, tsherr distress call, purring.
The whoo contact call can be soft or loud and vary in pitch, becoming louder and
higher with increasing excitement. The young begin responding in kind to the
mother's whoos at 4 weeks, and give a harsh chirp (tsherr) of distress. Playing
slender mongooses utter a breathy haah haah sound with open mouth followed
by biting. A low, droning growl often ending in explosive spitting is given by
mongooses defending their food or offspring; 2 strangers may caterwaul like cats
upon meeting, and shriek during fights. A badly frightened female uttered a
growling tschaarrr that was audible for 50 m. Newborn kittens emitted a faint purr
while nursing and sleeping but were otherwise silent.
AGONISTIC BEHAVIOUR
Dominance/Threat Displays: crouching, bristling tail and body hair, open -mouth
threat and snarling, head-darting, snapping, with vocal accompaniment.
Defensive/Submissive Behaviour: defensive posture lying on back, curling up
in a ball and biting between hindlegs, turning head away, submissive grimace,
submissive approach.
Fighting: grappling, rolling, biting throat.
In low-intensity threat, only the tail bristles, while the mongoose emits a droning
growl; at high intensity the body hair is also erected and the animal utters a nearly
inaudible haah. Threat-gaping was observed between 2 mongooses kept in the
same cage when the dominant individual attempted to intercept the other,
approaching its shoulder with slightly opened mouth turned in its direction and lips
vertically retracted in a snarl that wrinkled the snout and fully exposed its teeth.
Snapping and spitting often accompanied threat displays.
The subordinate mongoose usually responded by turning its head away, by
lowering its head with mouth parted and lips retracted horizontally, showing the
pink lips and gums (submissive grimace), or by approaching slowly and
cautiously with head and body low, sometimes dragging on the ground
(submissive approach). When attacked, a slender mongoose may defend itself by
falling on its back and using its claws and teeth. Two males fighting over an
oestrous female concentrated their biting in the neck and shoulder area, resulting
in only superficial wounds (more on fighting under Social Organisation).
Slender mongoose © WildlifeCampus
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REPRODUCTION
Females may reproduce several times a year in equatorial Africa: in Serengeti
N.P. one gave birth in March and again in July. Two to 4 young per litter is usual.
In South Africa, births take place during the summer rains, mostly from October
through December. Gestation is 58 - 62 days.
SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
Males accompany females during their oestrus period, which may last for over a
week. As observed in a captive couple, the male followed the female closely and
attempted to mount whenever she stopped. The first copulations were brief,
lasting only 30 seconds; 6 days later the duration was 2 ½ minutes. A copulating
female kept pushing at the male with her nose and he gaped at her but did not
bite her neck. In another courtship, however, the male grabbed the female by her
ear and tried to pull her along, then mated with her while clasping her middle with
his forearms.
PARENT/OFFSPRING BEHAVIOUR
Mothers are fiercely protective and will attack animals and even people that come
too close to their babies. Under captive conditions, males also behaved
protectively and carried babies (which curl up and become passive when picked
up by the head or neck). Suckling mothers crouch over their kittens or lie on one
side.
The young develop rapidly, reaching ? adult weight within 50 days. Their eyes
are fully open at 3 weeks; they may leave the nest at 4 weeks and begin eating
solid food, brought by the mother, about the same time. They are weaned
between 7 and 9 weeks, and at 24 weeks have all their second teeth. Separation
occurs usually by 10 weeks. Females mature and become pregnant early in their
second year, males probably considerably later. However, one female was still
with her 3 offspring 2 months after they were full-grown, and another was sighted
in company with her son 5 months after the 2 had separated. The daughter of a
female that disappeared inherited the territory.
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WildlifeCampus – The Behaviour Guide to African Carnivores 7
PLAY
This mongoose is known for its playfulness, a tendency that persists even in
adults. As usual, the actions associated with predation, fighting, and sex
(mounting) are performed in play, especially stalking, pouncing, flight and pursuit,
capture, feinted attack, sparring, wrestling, biting, and play with captured prey,
dead or alive.
Playful interactions between sanguineus and other species have been observed,
including hyraxes, antelopes, and monkeys. Ground squirrels sometimes invite
chases by approaching very closely and then running away.
ANTIPREDATOR BEHAVIOUR
Defensive threats: bristling, wide-mouth threat (also seen in play), mock attack,
alarm call, and growling.
Like other small mammals, this species quickly takes alarm at the appearance of
eagles, but it appears to have little or no fear of snakes. It has even been known
to attack large, poisonous kinds that are major predators on mongooses: for
instance, a marked male took on a spitting cobra, which retreated into a rock
crevice.
SOURCES
Baker 1981, Jacobsen 1982, Kingdon 1977, Rood 1989, Rood and Waser 1978,
Smithers 1983, Vaughan 1976.
Slender mongoose © WildlifeCampus
