Marsh Mongoose

The Marsh mongoose is a medium-sized mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. Its fur is dark reddish brown to black in color with white and fawn colored guard hairs. The hair behind the neck and in front of the back is short but longer on the hind legs and on the tail. Its muzzle is short with a fawn colored mouth, short whiskers, and a naked rhinarium. Its feet have five flexible digits each with curved claws but without any webbing. The soles of its feet are naked. Both sexes have anal glands in a pouch that produce a musky smelling secretion.

## Distribution

Marsh mongooses occur in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, and south to Southern Africa, except Namibia. They inhabit freshwater wetlands such as marshes and swamps along slow-moving rivers and streams, but also estuaries in coastal areas. Sometimes they can be found away from watercourses in forested areas but only for short periods of time.

## Habits and Lifestyle

Marsh mongooses are solitary creatures. They are excellent swimmers and can dive for up to 15 seconds, using their feet to paddle. On land, they usually trot slowly, but can also move fast. These animals are crepuscular, being active from shortly after sunset until after midnight, but not during the day. During the day they usually rest in burrows situated in dry areas above water and mud in the dense cover of high grasses and climbing plants or in rocky areas. Marsh mongooses are highly territorial. They always follow pathways that are smooth and well-defined. These pathways usually follow rivers or shorelines and are hidden by tall grass and reed clumps. March mongooses hunt in a very interesting way. To catch a bird, the mongoose lies on its back pretending as if it's sunbathing. In this position, the pale, pink anal area assumes a startling prominence against the surrounding dark fur. This display attracts birds to approach and peck at the anal area, at which time the mongoose catches the bird. Marsh mongooses communicate with the help of different sounds. When threatened they make a low growl and when excited - a high-pitched cry and an open-mouthed bleat. When the mongoose is cornered or distressed, it will emit a strong-smelling brown fluid from its anal sacs and curl itself into a ball.

## Feeding Behavior

Feeding behaviour of eight captive marsh mongooses was studied in 1984. When the mongooses sighted prey in the water, they swam or walked towards it, used their digits to seek it out, but kept their heads above water. Once located, they grabbed it with the mouth and killed it outside the water. They killed rodents and frogs by biting them in the head, and occasionally also shook them. When finished eating, they wiped their mouths with the forefeet. They broke eggs by throwing them backwards between the legs. Scat of marsh mongooses collected around Lake St Lucia contained foremost remains of crustaceans, amphibians, insects and fish. Marsh mongooses were observed while carrying mudcrabs (*Scylla serrata*) ashore. They removed the chelipeds and opened the sternum to feed on the body contents. They deposit scat at specific latrine sites located on low shrubs, on rocks or sand well away from the water edge. Scat of marsh mongoose collected in a rocky coastal habitat contained remains of sandhoppers, shore crab (*Cyclograpsus punctatus*), pink-lipped topshell (*Oxystele sinensis*) and *Tropidophora* snails. Research in southeastern Nigeria revealed that the marsh mongoose has an omnivorous diet. It feeds on rodents like giant pouched rats (*Cricetomys*), Temminck's mouse (*Mus musculoides*), Tullberg's soft-furred mouse (*Praomys tulbergi*), grass frogs (*Ptychadena*), crowned bullfrog (*Hoplobatrachus occipitalis*), herald snake (*Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia*), mudskippers (*Periophthalmus*), insects such as spiders and Coleoptera, snails and slugs, Bivalvia, Decapoda as well as fruits, berries and seeds.

## Reproduction

After a gestation of 69 to 80 days, females give birth to a litter of two to three young, which are fully furred. Their eyes open between the 9th and 14th day, pupils are bluish at first and change to brown at the age of three weeks. Their ear canal opens between the 17th and 28th day. Females start weaning their offspring earliest on the 30th day, and young are fully weaned by the age of two months.