Indian Brown Mongoose

About this species

Size

Head and body 33–48cm; tail 20–34cm

Weight

Males about 2.7kg

Diet

Small rodents, snakes, lizards, spiders, grubs, birds, eggs and frogs; occasionally berries and flowers

Habitat

Dense forest

Range

Western Ghats of India and western Sri Lanka

Litter size

2–3 young

The Indian brown mongoose is native to the Western Ghats in India and the western coast of Sri Lanka, and has been introduced to Fiji. It has a dark brown body, black legs and a pointed tail that is more furry than that of the small Indian mongoose. Head and body length is 33–48 cm and the tail 20–34 cm, about two-thirds of the body length. It looks large next to the other mongooses of the southern Western Ghats. Males are larger and heavier than females and weigh about 2.7 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is nocturnal, prefers to live alone and keeps to dense forest. It is an opportunistic carnivore that feeds mainly on small rodents, snakes, lizards, spiders, grubs, birds, eggs and frogs, and at times on berries and flowers. To breed, it burrows among densely packed rocks and gives birth to two or three young (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)