Due to its quick sight and great agility rather than immunity to poison, the Indian common mongoose fearlessly attacks and kills the most poisonous snakes - cobras. Thus it is often domesticated. Mongooses feed on various small animals - from insects to rodents and reptiles. The latter are somewhat twice larger and prefer nomad life, constantly migrating in shoads within their territory. Active in the mornings and evenings, they spend days and nights in burrows.
Specimens living in our Zoo breed well.
The suricate is usually thought to be a most attractive among the viverrids. Inhabiting Cape Colony of South Africa, it is allied to mongooses, but has only four toes. Its colour is greyish banded with black. In case of danger they whistle loudly and immediately hide in burrows. Natalia Rudneva , Alexei Grif.