In previous post we got acquainted with mongooses, we find out that they are excellent hunters, they can run fast and eat eggs, frogs, insects and other ground-living animals. Their import is even forbidden in the USA, so, they seem to be awful, angry creatures, who think only about their one luck and happiness. But it is not true, they can be small, cute and sleepy! Because, as you remember, they are sleepless at night!
Have you ever read any story written by Rudyard Kipling? And do you happen to know anything about “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”? Yeah? Can you imagine him? And who do you think he was? You do not know, but it is so easy, he was a mongoose!!! And, no doubts, for us a typical mongoose is the Indian mongoose and the dwarf mongoose. It is no easy to describe them, as they do not possess any specific features.But, to put it in a nutshell, an average mongoose looks like this. They are small to a certain extent carnivores, covered with a warm fur coat, 15 to 17 inches long, a tail can grow up to 10 inches. Each mongoose has war colours at his pointed face and stripes on its back. Mongoose’s legs are rather short. As a rule, they live in Africa, woods, deserts, Europe (southern part) and Asia. Sometimes even in Spain.They live mostly in families, up to 25 members, but sometimes they can live either alone or in pairs.
Mongooses live near water: streams, ponds; in hedges, and fields; they can occupy burrows and caves. as well. As a rule they eat mice, rats, lizards, snakes, insects, spiders, frogs and eggs. The Indian mongoose is very popular because of his courage and his manner of behaving: he kills cobras, he can do so due to his very quick movements and long, thick fur. In ancient Egypt a man goose considered to be a sacred animal. The reason is nowadays very funny to us and was extremely important to the Egyptians. Mongooses helped to control the population of crocodiles. How? In a very interesting way. As it was already told, they were fond of eggs eating, so, as a rule, they eat eggs of crocodiles in the Nile River and gained the popular name “Pharaoh’s Mouse.” The attack of mongoose is rather exciting and breathtaking. While attacking a snake, mongoose provokes it. So, a after a series of constant attacks and provocation from the side of man goose, a snake gets tired and it is an exact time for mongoose to attack his or her opponent. A man goose swallows snake’s head and crushes the skull. So, pay attention! They are very ancient animals!
Mongoose’s babies are very interesting, it takes a long time to breed a so-called “child” – a year and 8 months, but a baby grows very quickly. In 6 months it is not a baby anymore, it is an adult. Sometimes one mother can have up to 10 babies.
Man gooses are fond of traveling, they can run rather fast, it helps them and makes them excellent hunters, there are some cases when a mongoose ran faster than a reptile did. As a rule, they haunt at hight. But, mongooses can be dangerous and eat all the possible eggs and even more a lot of ground-living animals. So, nowadays, it is illegal to import mongooses to the USA.
As for me, I like different animals. I find them funny. Each of them has their own personality, temper and beauty. Most of all I like TV programs about animals. Sometimes I read books and magazines about them. Pets, mammals, predators it doesn’t matter. They live far from me in Australia, The USA, Europe… That’s why I don’t afraid of them.
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