Yellow mongoose

Species

Yellow mongoose

What they look like

This species can vary in colour from a reddish-yellow to light brown, with their undersides and faces tending to be lighter. They have a distinctive white tip at the end of their long tales and rounded short ears.

Animal facts

• They live in groups of up to 20 individuals and can often be found cohabiting with meerkats and ground squirrels.
• Yellow mongoose mate in the summer months, between July and September.
• They have five digits on their front feet and four on their hind feet.

What they eat

Their diet mainly consists of insects such as ants, beetles, termites and locusts. They have also been known to eat larger prey such as lizards, frogs, birds and eggs.

Habitat

Open grasslands and savannas

Where they live

Yellow mongoose can be found throughout southern Africa in places such as Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Angola.