They also don't mind rushing a cobra, which is, in spite of its size and extravagantly toxic venom, actually very shy and uninterested in tangling with anybody. Combative humans and mongooses are at the very top of a king cobra's "Avoid" list.
But then chemistry gets involved. It's not impossible for a mongoose to get sick or even die from a cobra bite, but mongooses make a glycoprotein that binds to the protein in the venom so a moderate amount of snake venom won't hurt them. Fascinating creatures, mongooses. However, if you live in the United States, you definitely can't have one as a pet — they are prohibited animals in every state except Hawaii, where they are considered a dangerous invasive species.
In the s, a family on the Isle of Man claimed a talking mongoose named Gef lived in their walls, by turns threatening them, protecting them, killing rabbits for their dinner and telling them jokes. The story became a tabloid sensation. Sign up for our Newsletter!
Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Animal Facts. Mongooses were brought to Hawaii by sugar cane farmers to try to control the rat population in their fields. However, the mongooses preferred the native and endangered bird and turtle population to the rats and have become a real problem in Hawaii. However, they tend to average from about cm in long.
Mongooses can reach a top speed of roughly 20 mph 32 kph. Mongooses are not really carnivores, they are omnivores they eat both vegetation and meat. They mainly feed on insects, with snakes being a favorite treat. They also eat frogs, seeds, eggs, nuts, worms, small rodents, lizards, birds, crabs, and fruit.
They prefer to stay on the ground but can climb trees if they need to, and some even live in trees. Here is an amazing video of one small mongoose scaring off 4 large lions; and you know that I will never click-bait you ;. I hope you have enjoyed learning about mongooses! Did I answer all your questions? Which fact was your favorite? Have something to add?
Let me know in the comments! What animal would you like me to cover? Let me know in the comments and check out some other awesome animals like the narwhal and ocean sunfish! Drew Haines is an animal enthusiast and travel writer. She loves to share her passion through her writing.
She graduated high school at sixteen and started her own business, Everywhere Wild Media. And she runs Everywhere Wild and JustBirding. She also guest blogs on Storyteller. She lived in Ecuador for 6 years and explored the Galapagos Islands.
Currently based in N. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Hi Thank you for the article. We've got mongooses living in our roof Since recently What should we do? A mongoose just killed one of our chickens. Is it still save to eat the chicken or to dangerous due to deseases? Thank you for your answer.
I have been rescuing snakes from human habitats for many years and so am a bit partial towards them. This had led me to slightly dislike mongooses in general. However reading this has made me see them in a new light. I do not now feel any dislike for this brave little animal. I just saw a TV program about the African hyena which said that the hyena is related to the mongoose and not to dogs.
Hello thank you for the article. We now know a lot more about the mongeese my prefered plural haha. Can we once more make use of your great expertise? You say you cant have mongees. The king cobra can grow to a length of 20 feet. However, as tiny as the mongoose is, it is still capable of rendering the cobra powerless through biting its head and neck. Most snakes avoid getting into a battle with mongooses but will try to fight if they are cornered and cannot escape.
The mongoose is so swift in its attacks. It can easily dodge cobra strikes by leaping. When it holds the cobra correctly, it can bite deep into the skull. The cobra may try to defend itself by wrapping around the mongoose. However, the mongoose will always overpower it in a matter of minutes. The cobra eats many other animals that are larger than the mongoose, but it can never dare prey on the mongoose. In most cases, the mongoose does not eat the cobra after killing it.
When it does, it consumes everything, including the venom sacs. The mongoose can only get bitten by the cobra when its leaps are inaccurate. It rarely loses the battle since it is believed that about eight times the amount of venom that kills a rabbit is required to cause the death of a mongoose. The mongoose might die from eating the poison from the cobra. Several mongooses have been killed after eating a poisonous snake, and its fangs punctured their stomach lining.
Although the mongoose seems to be fearless, some of its species have been successfully kept as pets. Most people get discouraged by the fact that mongooses can become dangerous.
The animal can only make a good pet if its dietary and habitat needs are met. Its growth and lifespan largely depend on the kind of foods provided. Those who have succeeded start rearing the mongoose as a pet at a young age. Domesticating them at a more advanced age makes it difficult for them to adjust to the new surroundings.
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