Kloof Conservancy BioGuide - Slender Mongoose
Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, Memorial Park
Size Body: 27 – 40 cm Tail: 23 – 33cm
Mass 575 gram (F) 715 gram (M)
Their body is long and slender, they have short legs and males tend to be larger than females.
The colour of their fur varies greatly between the different subspecies from dark reddish/brown to an orange/brown, yellow and grey, and they often appear speckled. They have a prominent black tip at the end of their tail which gives rise to an alternative common name: Black-tipped Mongoose.
Solitary, but a collective territory may be defended by coalitions of up to four males. This territory may encompass the ranges of several females. Related and unrelated males are included in these coalitions. Territories are not shared by adult females. Both the male and female offspring disperse to find their own space.
They are diurnal but will hunt on moonlit nights.
The Slender Mongoose feeds primarily on small rodents, reptiles and at times also on birds – and is also known to take invertebrates.
A year-round breeder, but births occur more often in the rainy season. They have a gestation period of eight to nine weeks and deliver one or two litters per year, each consisting of between one and three young.
It is very common throughout most of KZN except the drier Northern KZN area. It is also common in most of sub-Saharan Africa – it is not found in the Eastern and Western Cape regions.
The Slender Mongoose Inhabits open woodland savannah, within which they favour more heavily wooded areas. They have a den that is in a sheltered area such as a hollow log or a crevice between rocks and they may share their dens with other species.
They do not have many enemies but are sometimes prey to eagles. Poultry farmers often treat them as pests.
One of the few mammals that visitors are likely to see because they move about in daytime. You are most likely to spot them near any of the grasslands and in particular near the Lingwood Trig Beacon, the Ntombeni Grasslands or Nkutu grasslands. They have also been spotted in the grasslands near the Molweni River
Krantzkloof boasts 5 species of mongoose. The most common after the Slender Mongoose are the Water Mongoose (Atilax paludinosus), followed by the Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo), the Large Grey Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) and the White-tailed Mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda). A number of melanistic (with black tails) White Tailed Mongoose have been recorded in the reserve.
In the park you are likely to see the Slender Mongoose in the grasslands while the Water Mongoose is likely to be found along the streams - look for the spoor in the muddy sections!
Slender mongoose are fearless fighters and will kill most species of snake.
They will climb trees unlike any of the other mongoose
Usayizi Umzimba: 27-40cm Isisila: 23-33cm.
Imisa 575 gram (F) 715 gram (M)
Ukuphila 10 Weminyaka.
Umumo ngokongiwa Lincane.
Umzimba mude futhi licuthene, anemilenze emfishane kanti awesilisa abukeka emakhulu kunawesifazane.
Umbala woboya babo uhlukene kakhulu phakathi kokuhlukana kwezinhlobo kusuka kwezibovu ngokuphaphatheka noma ngokunsundu kuya koku wolintshi noma okunsundu, okuphuzi nokumpunga, kanti zijwayele ukuvela zimakhwifikhwifi Banesihloko esimnyama esigqamile ekupheleni kwesisila okuvusa ukuhlukana kwamagama: Black-tipped Mongoose.
Isizungu, kodwa umbuso obuthelene ndawonye unganokuvikelwa ukuhlanganiswa kwawesilisa angaze afinyelele kwamane. Lombuso uzungelezela ukuhlela awesifazane ahlukeneyo. Ukuhlobana nokungahlobani kwabesilisa kuhlangene kulombutho. Lombuso awesifazane amadala awabelani ngawo.
Kobubili ubulili isizukulwane siyasabalaliswa ukuthola indawo yaso.
Ayimihla yonke kodwa angazingela ngonyezi.
Uchakide udla izilwanyane ezisazalwa, ezihuquzelayo kanti ngokunjalo nezinyoni futhi zaziwa ngokuthatha okungenamgogodla.
Bazalela ngonyaka, kodwa ukuzala kuchomekeke kakhulu ngesikhathi semvula. Zimitha isikhathi esingamasonto asishiyagalombili kuya kwasishiya-galolunye uzalela elilodwa noma amabili ngonyaka, ngalinye libunjwa phakathi kwelilodwa futhi amathathu amancane.
Batholakala kakhulu maphakathi ne-KZN ngaphandle kwe Nyakatho ne-KZN lalomise khona. Baphinde batholakale kakhulu kwi-Sub-Sahara Afrika – ngeke ubathole kwi-Mpumalanga ne-Ntshonalanga Kapa.
Uchakide uhlala emahlathini avulenkile, phakathi anezigodo ezisindayo. Banemgede enendawo embozekile eligobongo noma umfantu phakathi kwamatshe futhi lemigede bayicazelana nezinye izinhlobo zezilwane.
Abanazo izitha eziningi kodwa kwesinye isikhathi babanjwa ukhozi. Abafuyi bamachwane bajwayele ukuwathatha njengenkathazo.
Bangesinye sezilwane ezincelisayo abavakashi abanokuthanda ukusibona ngoba bahamba emini. Ungawubona kakhulu eduze nendawo enotshani futhi kakhulu eduze ne-Lingwood Trig Beacon, Ntombeni Grasslands noma Nkutu grasslands. Ungababona futhi endaweni enotshane eduze ne-Molweni River.
Krantzkloof igabise ngezinhlobo ezingu 5 zochakide. Ezikhona kakhulu emva kukachakide ezasemanzini (water mongoose - Atilax paludinosus) silandelwe ngama Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo), Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) kanye ne-white-tailed mongoose. Isibalo samamelanistic (ezinemisila emnyame) white tailed mongoose iqoshwe esiqiwini.
Kwipaki ungathandaukubona uChakide endaweni enotshani kulesikhashana uChakide Wasemanzini uthanda ukutholakala ngasemifudlaneni - bheka isondo noma landela umkhondo ngasehlangothini olunodaka.
Uchakide awukusabi ukulwa kanti ubulala izinhlobo eziningi zezinyoka.
Zigibela ezihlahleni njenganoma imuphi omunye uchakide.