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Food
insects, fruit, small reptiles, mice, birds and eggs
Lifetime
11 years on average
Weight
1 - 2 kg
Number of youngsters
2 - 6 youngsters
Wear time
2 months
IUCN Status
safe
EEP?
no
Fast and agile
Banded mongooses mainly eat insects. But sometimes they also eat venomous snakes, such as cobras. To catch them without being bitten, they have to be very fast and agile. A zebra mongoose leaps around the snake and taunts it. This quickly tires the snake out. At that moment, the banded mongoose can strike and bite the snake on the neck to kill it.
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Theme area: On your own strength
You can see the banded mongoose in the ‘On your own strength’ theme area. Here, you’ll discover how animals move around and why moving, or, conversely, staying still, is important for survival.
Nomads
Banded mongooses sleep in underground burrows. Sometimes they dig these burrows themselves, but often they use an abandoned burrow left by another animal. A group of banded mongooses never stays in the same place for long. They move to a different burrow every few days. This makes it harder for predators to find them.