The Life of Animals | Mongoose | Mongooses live in southern Asia, Africa, and southern Europe, as well as some Caribbean and Hawaiian islands, where They are an introduced species.Mongoose range in weight from the squirrel-sized Common Dwarf Mongoose, at 10 oz (280 g), to the cat-sized White-tailed Mongoose, at 9 lb (4.1 kg). Some species lead predominantly solitary lives, seeking out food only for themselves, while others travel in groups, sharing food Among the group members. The Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) Sometimes is held as an example of a solitary Mongoose, though it has been observed to work in groups. The Meerkat is a small, diurnal mammal That forages for invertebrates in open country. However the, it eats small, migrating birds. If from the ground, the troop flees, but They are more Able to evade terrestrial predators than the Raptors. Mongooses are a common spectacle at roadside shows in Pakistan. Snake charmers keep mongooses for mock fights with snakes. In Okinawa, mongooses fight Habu, or vipers (a local, member of the General Venomous Trimeresurus species), in a closed perimeter while spectators watch. According to Greek Historian Diodorus Siculus (1.35 & 1.87), Egyptians venerated native mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon) for Their ability to handle Venomous snakes and for Their occasional diet of crocodile eggs. Rudyard Kipling's story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" features a pet Mongoose That saves its human family from two deadly Cobras. A Mongoose also features in Bram Stoker's novel, The Lair of the White Worm. Mongooses were the resource persons used in research into creating artificial skin.
