15-7-2025 AMSTERDAM ZOO, HOLLAND - COMMON DWARF MONGOOSE (Helogale parvula)

The common dwarf mongoose ranges from East to southern Central Africa, from Eritrea and Ethiopia to the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the Republic of South Africa. It inhabits primarily dry grassland, open forests and bushland up to an elevation of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It is especially common in areas with many termite mounds, its favorite sleeping place. It avoids dense forests and deserts.

The common dwarf mongoose is a diurnal animal. It is a highly social species that lives in extended family groups of two to thirty animals. There is a strict hierarchy among same-sexed animals within a group, headed by the dominant pair (normally the oldest group members). All group members cooperate in helping to rear the pups and in guarding the group from predators.

Young mongooses attain sexual maturity by one year of age but delay dispersal, with males usually emigrating (in the company of their brothers) at 2–3 years old. Dispersing males may join other established groups, either as subordinates or by ousting the resident males, or they may found new groups with unrelated dispersing females. In contrast, females normally remain in their home group for life, queuing for the dominant position. They will, however, emigrate to found a new group if they lose their place in the hierarchy to a younger sister.

Dwarf mongooses are territorial, and each group uses an area of approximately 30-60 hectares (depending on the type of habitat). They sleep at night in disused termite mounds, although they occasionally use piles of stones, hollow trees, etc. The mongooses mark their territory with anal gland and cheek gland secretions and latrines. Territories often overlap slightly, which can lead to confrontations between different groups, with the larger group tending to win.

Dwarf mongooses tend to breed during the wet season, between November and May, raising up to three litters. Usually only the group's dominant female becomes pregnant, and she is responsible for 80% of the pups reared by the group. If conditions are good, subordinate females may also become pregnant, but their pups rarely survive. After the gestation period of 53 days, 4-6 young are born. They remain below ground within a termite mound for the first 2–3 weeks. Normally one or more members of the group stay behind to babysit while the group goes foraging. Subordinate females often produce milk to feed the dominant female's pups. At 4 weeks of age the pups begin accompanying the group. All group members help to provide them with prey items until they are around 10 weeks old.

A mutualistic relationship has evolved between the dwarf mongoose and hornbills, in which hornbills seek out the mongooses in order for the two species to forage together, and to warn each other of nearby birds of prey and other predators.

The diet of the common dwarf mongoose consists of insects (mainly beetle larvae, termites, grasshoppers and crickets), spiders, scorpions, small lizards, snakes, small birds, and rodents, and is supplemented very occasionally with berries.

22-3-2024 BIOPARC, VALENCIA - COMMON DWARF MONGOOSE (Helogale parvula) NIKON P900

The common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula ) is a mongoose species native to Angola, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia and East Africa. It is part of the genus Helogale and as such is related to H. hirtula.

Common dwarf mongooses are the smallest African carnivores. They have a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs, and long claws. Their soft fur is very variable in color, ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown.

Common dwarf mongooses range from East to southern Central Africa, from Ethiopia to the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the Republic of South Africa. These animals are usually found in dry grassland, open woodlands, wooded savannas, and bushland. They are especially common in areas with many termite mounds and avoid dense forests and deserts.

Common dwarf mongooses are diurnal animals. They are highly social and live in extended family groups of 2 to 30 animals. There is a strict hierarchy among same-sexed animals within a group, headed by the dominant pair (normally the oldest group members). All group members cooperate in helping to rear the pups and in guarding the group against predators. Dwarf mongooses are territorial, and each group uses an area of approximately 30-60 hectares. They sleep at night in disused termite mounds, although they occasionally use piles of stones, hollow trees, etc. Mongooses mark their territory with anal gland and cheek gland secretions and latrines. Territories often overlap slightly, which can lead to confrontations between different groups, with the larger group tending to win. Common dwarf mongooses begin and end each day sunbathing and socializing with the members of their groups. The rest of the day these animals spend looking for food among brush and rocks. They communicate with each other with the help of twitters, whistles, trills, and vibrations. 

29-3-2021 BIOPARC, VALENCIA - COMMON DWARF MONGOOSE (Helogale parvula)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41906-Helogale-parvula

 

12-2-2020 BIOPARC, VALENCIA - COMMON DWARF MONGOOSE (Helogale parvula)

23-5-2019 MANA POOLS, ZIMBABWE - COMMON DWARF MONGOOSE (Helogale parvula)

The common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) is a mongoose species native to Angola, northern Botswana, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia and East Africa. It is part of the genus Helogale, along with the Ethiopian dwarf mongoose.

The common dwarf mongoose has soft fur ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown. It has a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs and long claws. With a body length of 16–23 cm (6.3–9.1 in) and a weight of 213–341 g (7.5–12.0 oz), it is Africa's smallest member of the order Carnivora.

Common dwarf mongoose in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

The common dwarf mongoose ranges from East to southern Central Africa, from Eritrea and Ethiopia to the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the Republic of South Africa. It inhabits primarily dry grassland, open forests and bushland up to an elevation of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It is especially common in areas with many termite mounds, its favorite sleeping place. It avoids dense forests and deserts.

The main predators of dwarf mongoose are predatory birds such as raptors and marabou storks, reptiles such as snakes and monitor lizards, and other carnivorous mammals such as jackals and larger mongooses.

A mutualistic relationship has evolved between the dwarf mongoose and hornbills, in which hornbills seek out the mongooses in order for the two species to forage together, and to warn each other of nearby birds of prey and other predators.

It is a social animal, with an average group size of twelve individuals,but larger packs can exceed thirty members. Packs are organized around a strict hierarchy, with females holding higher positions than males within each age class. Each pack is structured around a single breeding pair, the breeding female of which holds the highest social position while her mate holds the second highest. Younger members and immigrant individuals do not typically reproduce, but instead care for and feed juveniles. Other females may reproduce during good conditions, but their litters rarely survive to adulthood. The breeding pair of a dwarf mongoose colony is given priority access to food and protection from subordinate members, and rarely has to defend against predators. The breeding male is most often responsible for suppressing reproduction among other colony members by confronting them directly when this is attempted, typically with a low-intensity threat posture, which causes the pair to cease their attempted reproduction and retreat. The female of the pair often grooms the alpha male afterwards as an appeasement behavior.

Dispersal and the funding of new packs are relatively rare, and group splits occur most often when the dominant female dies. Non-breeders occasionally transfer between different packs, typically at their second or third year of age and during the rain season, which can result in their obtaining a shorter "queue" for becoming part of the breeding pair of the new pack.

Dwarf mongooses tend to breed during the wet season, between November and May, where the breeding female may produce up to three litters, containing an average of four pups each after a gestation period of 49 to 53 days. The pups nurse for a period of 45 days, during which they may be nursed by subordinate females. Juveniles begin foraging alongside adults at around six weeks of age, and reach sexual maturity at three years of life. Their maximum lifespan is around 18 years.

The primary diet of the common dwarf mongoose consists of invertebrates, chiefly insects such as beetle larvae, termites, grasshoppers and crickets, alongside spiders and scorpions. Secondary food sources include small vertebrates, eggs, and fruit.