Banded mongoose

The banded mongoose, Mungos mungo, is a mongoose species in the family Herpestidae, first described scientifically as Viverra mungo by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. It occurs across a large part of Africa, from the Sahel through East, Southeast, and South Central Africa, with additional populations in West African savannas. Unlike most other mongoose species it is highly social, living in colonies with a complex social structure across savannas, open forests, and grasslands, feeding mainly on beetles and millipedes, and sheltering most often in abandoned termite mounds. Adults measure 30 to 45 centimeters in body length, weigh 1.5 to 2.25 kilograms, and have a tail 15 to 30 centimeters long, with dark bands across the back on a grayish brown coat. It is listed as Least Concern.