The Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) lives in the dry grasslands and open forests of Angola, northern Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and East Africa. It has the characteristics of a typical mongoose- a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, and short limbs and long claws. The fur is soft and varies in color, from yellow-red to dark brown. The Common Dwarf Mongoose mostly eats insects- beetle larvae, termites, grasshoppers, and crickets, but it will occasionally eat small lizards, snakes, small birds, rodents, and berries. As a social species, the Common Dwarf Mongoose lives in extended family groups of two to thirty animals.
The Dwarf Mongoose has a body length in the range of 7”-11” (18-28 cm) and total weight of .44-.77 lb (.2-.35 kg). Dwarf Mongooses have a shoulder height between 3.5”-5.5” (9-14 cm), body width of 2.4”-3.9” (6-10 cm), and tail length of 4.7”-7.9” (12-20 cm). The typical lifespan of the Dwarf Mongoose is between 8-18 years.
The Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) lives in the dry grasslands and open forests of Angola, northern Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and East Africa. It has the characteristics of a typical mongoose- a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, and short limbs and long claws. The fur is soft and varies in color, from yellow-red to dark brown. The Common Dwarf Mongoose mostly eats insects- beetle larvae, termites, grasshoppers, and crickets, but it will occasionally eat small lizards, snakes, small birds, rodents, and berries. As a social species, the Common Dwarf Mongoose lives in extended family groups of two to thirty animals.
The Dwarf Mongoose has a body length in the range of 7”-11” (18-28 cm) and total weight of .44-.77 lb (.2-.35 kg). Dwarf Mongooses have a shoulder height between 3.5”-5.5” (9-14 cm), body width of 2.4”-3.9” (6-10 cm), and tail length of 4.7”-7.9” (12-20 cm). The typical lifespan of the Dwarf Mongoose is between 8-18 years.