Herpestes sanguineus
Despite its relative small size – adults weigh around 500g and grow to about 60cm in length – the Slender Mongoose is a very active diurnal carnivore, capable of overpowering prey up to the size of guineafowl and domestic chickens, but usually preying on invertebrates, eggs, reptiles (including snakes), rodents, frogs and small birds and at times a small quantity of fruits and berries as well.
Slender Mongooses are not particular about their habitat and will inhabit any area where there is sufficient cover. They mostly hunt on the ground, but are quite capable climbers, and at night hide in burrows, thickets, hollow tree trunks and similar shelters. They are solitary animals and likely any groups encountered will be consisting of a female with her latest litter of 1 or 2 (seldomly up to 4) cubs. Like most other mongooses they are very susceptible to rabies. Their life expectancy in the wild is approximately eight years.
The IUCN lists the Slender Mongoose as Least Concern. It is distributed over a wide area of sub-Saharan Africa, being absent only from the driest deserts and most densely forested areas. In South Africa they are found in all provinces except the Western and Eastern Cape, where the closely related Cape Grey Mongoose fills the same general ecological niche.
DeWetsWild 
I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like this before! You have such a richness of diversity!
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South Africa really is blessed with an amazing abundance of species!
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This begs the question… have you ever seen a fat slender mongoose?? 😉
(Sorry… couldn’t resist… ) 🙂
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Come to think of it, no! So they must deserve their name!
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Cute little fellows. Had I thought of it that mongooses were susceptible to rabies, I would have been seriously worried when the supposedly wild banded one ran up to me and sat on my shoulder that time! Mind you, helping himself to a cigarette would have reassured me.
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😀
So glad I could empower you with knowledge that might save your life next time a mongoose becomes too “touchy-feely”!
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I enjoyed seeing these photos. I’ve never seen a mongoose, but I’ve long been fascinated by them.
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Slender Mongooses are always busily going about their business, one rarely gets a chance to take a photo before they disappear from view again!
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Beautiful pictures of the cute mongoose.😊
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Thanks, John!
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I enjoy watching the antics of these creatures. They have beady eyes and look ‘ready for action’.
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I agree Anne, they always seem to be up to something!
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What a cute face! I think slender is a great size to be. 😃
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I bet the rodents it hunts wish the “slender mongoose” was just a little less so… 😀
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Great shots of this Slender Mongoose!
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Thank you very much, Hien!
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