Austria’s Schönbrunn Zoo is happy to have offspring among the southern dwarf mongooses: three young animals were born in mid-September and are now making their first excursions out of their den. “The young animals are curious and they explore the facility, dig in the sand and play with each other. If one of the little ones moves too far, the adult animals carry it back into the protective burrow in their mouths,” says zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. At first glance, dwarf mongooses are often confused with meerkats. No wonder, both species belong to the mongoose family. However, as the name suggests, dwarf mongooses are among the smallest species of mongoose. Even fully grown, they only weigh around 300 grams.
Southern dwarf mongooses are native to the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa. They like to colonize abandoned termite mounds, which give them protection at night and a good view of the surrounding area during the day. It is also insects that are mainly on the menu of the little hunters. Your social system is exciting. Hering-Hagenbeck: “Dwarf mongooses live socially in small groups and rely on teamwork when they live together. Only the highest-ranking female gets the offspring, but everyone helps with the rearing. ”The young animals, whose sex is not yet known, are suckled in the first seven weeks of life. But they already try grasshoppers, mealworms and minced meat.
Although they are very similar looking mammals, recent births show two very different reproduction strategies among mongooses: a single fertile pair in the entire group in the case of dwarfs and shared breeding in striped ones.
Friday, September 10, 2021.- One of the main objectives of BIOPARC is to show the rich biodiversity of our planet and learn about the impressive variety of survival strategies. In addition, if this information comes from the hand of the best news, such as new births, the satisfaction for the entire park team is maximum.
In this case, the latest joys come from two very similar species that many people confuse, the dwarf and striped mongooses, which have had new litters. Both species are included in the red list of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), for the moment with "least concern", being the main threat they face in nature the destruction of their habitat.
The BIOPARC group of striped mongooses (Mungos mungo) is one of the most numerous in Spain with 57 individuals, this time two litters have been born, one of 2 young and the other of 13. After giving birth, the young remain in the nest around 2 weeks and it is from then on when we can see them in the savannah area, near the aviary and the Kopje, where the lions are found.
Dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula undulata) inhabit the spectacular recreation of a termite mound in the BIOPARC savanna area, next to the burrow of the orichterope. The recent litter is 2 young and the enclosure is temporarily closed from public view so as not to alter the rearing of the new arrivals.
Although they look similar and share organization in collaborative communities, they are two very different species. The larger size and the characteristic pattern of the stripes allow them to be easily recognized. But the most interesting thing is that they have developed very different reproductive strategies, where the hierarchy is decisive. In the case of dwarf mongooses, the highest ranking position is occupied by the oldest female, followed by her partner, with whom she usually remains for life and they constitute the only fertile couple in the entire group. The rest of the females are inhibited, since the dominant one releases hormones in their urine that is a signal for them to lose their reproductive capacity. The other members of the colony participate in the care and feeding of the little ones.
With regard to striped mongoose, the hierarchy is given by the size and age of the individual. There is a dominant male and several reproductive females that usually synchronize their deliveries. In this way, the survival of the young increases since they are cared for all together, even any female with available milk can breastfeed the newborns. The mothers divide up the work, while some are left to take care of the young, others go out to look for food. But not only the mothers participate in this work, the subordinate males take turns on guard, in case a predator lurks and they also help to look for food and take care of the little ones.
Five tiny Dwarf Mongoose pups, born at Chester Zoo, recently emerged from their den for the first time.
The pups were spotted following in the footsteps of mum as they took their maiden steps into the outside world.
Photo Credits: Chester Zoo
The quintet is the first litter for mum, Mini, and dad, Cooper. Both parents arrived at Chester Zoo in late 2016.
Keepers were first alerted to the new arrivals several weeks ago when they heard “little squeaks” coming from their nest box.
Nick Davis, Deputy Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo, said, “Dwarf Mongooses are curious characters and are incredibly adventurous and playful. The babies are certainly keeping mum and dad on their toes.”
Meet ‘Mumbles’ and ‘Wiggles’, also known as the ‘Weasley Brothers’! The two Yellow Mongoose brothers were born, in late January, at Exmoor Zoo.
Photo Credits: John Hammond/Exmoor Zoo
According to Zoo Curator, Danny Reynolds, the zoo has looked after the species for more than 15 years, but this is the first time they have had success with babies reaching the age of Mumbles and Wiggles. The parents had a litter in the past, but due to the mothers advanced age, she was unable to produce enough milk. This time around, zoo staff decided it would be in the best interest of the brothers to intervene, and they began hand rearing the pair.
Zoo staff will be providing extended hands-on care for the brothers, over the next eight weeks. Then, the duo will be placed on exhibit, for visitors to observe.
The Yellow Mongoose is sometimes referred to as the ‘red meerkat’. Their average adult weight is about 1 pound, and they generally reach a length of about 20 inches. Their native habitat is in open country, from semi-desert scrubland to grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
The Yellow Mongoose is carnivorous, consuming mostly arthropods, but they are known to dine on other small creatures, such as: lizards, snakes, and eggs of others species.
They generally mate between July and September, and they usually give birth between October and December. Usually, two offspring are produced, and they are weaned at about 10 weeks of age. They reach adult size after 10 months.
The Yellow Mongoose is currently classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.
Edinburgh
Zoo’s group of dwarf mongoose grew by three recently, when they welcomed a trio of new babies. Doting
dwarf mongoose mom and dad, Elvina and Elmo, are being kept busy with their
adventurous offspring. This is their first litter of kits since the pair
arrived at the Zoo in January. The newborns are keeping mum and dad
on their toes with their antics; the trio have quickly taken to
exploring the different tunnels around their enclosure.
These
playful and curious characters are incredibly social animals that can live in
groups of between two and 20. In the wild dwarf mongoose can be found
inhabiting the dry grassland and bush lands of Africa. Small by name and size, they are usually around seven to 11 inches (28 cm) in length
and are Africa’s smallest carnivore, as well as the smallest of the mongoose
species.
Sharon
Hatton, carnivore keeper at Edinburgh Zoo, said, “It’s
great news for us that Elvina and Elmo have successfully bred already, after
only arriving at the beginning
of the year. We
were hopeful that they would produce a litter this year, however realistically we
thought it would take them a little longer to settle in. It was a bit of a
surprise…but a good surprise."
Three Yellow Mongoose babies were born last Sunday night (about one week ago from when these pictures were taken) to first time parents Basil and Sybil at Durrell Wildlife Trust. Yellow Mongoose litters usually consist of one or two individuals so having three is currently keeping Sybil very busy, but she is proving to be a great first time mom. Yellow Mongooses live with meerkats in the wild, and this natural behaviour is replicated at the conservation charity’s headquarters in the Channel Islands.
At the moment the new babies are being kept hidden away by mum, their eyes have not yet opened and they are not strong enough to fend for themselves. But in another week or so they will be exploring outside, meeting their meerkat neighbours and in just a couple of months they will be completely weaned!
The Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Park Zoo welcomed four Banded Mongoose pups this month and they have just been moved to the Tropic Zone where the public can enjoy their playful antics. The rambunctious babies' rough-housing mimics the boldness adult mongooses are famous for. Banded Mongooses live in groups of up to 70 individuals and multiple females will often give birth to their litters on the exact same day.
Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher / Wildlife Conservation Society
Two Dwarf Mongoose Pups, each the size of a chocolate bar, have been spotted enjoying the September sunshine in Chester Zoo. Squeaks were heard by the keepers three weeks ago but the pups were not seen until they ventured outside in the Mongoose Mania enclosure. With a diet of mice, locusts and meal worms, this species normally live to about 10 years old and can grow up to 12 inches long. Dwarf Mongoose Pups are the smallest of all African carnivores and normally deliver one to six pups. The adult pair has been in the zoo since 2009. They were moved to the Mongoose Mania enclosure in March this year.
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo's Banded Mongoose baby boom continues! Five baby Banded Mongooses, born on August 2, made their exhibit debut this week. Combined with seven babies born in November, six babies born in March, and our original seven adults, Fort Wayne now has twenty five Mongooses in the colony.
A litter of six baby Banded Mongoose pups were born Thanksgiving Day at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. After spending their first few weeks in the nest box, the babies have begun chirping, playing, and harassing the almost outnumbered seven adults in the enclosure.