habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
Banded Mongooses occur in a wide range of habitats, but they are primarily found in savannah and woodland, usually close to water, and are absent from desert, semi-desert and montane regions (Cant & Gilchrist 2013). They are often found in habitats containing termitaria, which are used as den sites: with an average den density of 0.71 dens / ha on a beef and game farm in Natal (Hiscocks & Perrin 1991a). They have also been observed in towns and villages. Their diet consists mainly of insects, with other invertebrates, vertebrates (including reptiles, amphibians, the eggs and young of birds, small mammals), and wild fruits also consumed (Hiscocks & Perrin 1991b; Gilchrist et al. 2009; Maddock et al. 2016). Banded Mongooses have been observed to remove ectoparasites (ticks) from Common Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus; Plumptre 2016). They are also known to forage on human garbage (Gilchrist & Otali 2002; Otali & Gilchrist 2004; Fairbanks Flint et al. 2016).The Banded Mongoose is a highly social and territorial species that lives in groups of 4â29 individuals (Photo 1) with low reproductive skew, i.e. most females breed (Gilchrist et al. 2009), hence making populations less vulnerable to stochastic effects than other social mongoose species such as Suricate (Suricata suricatta) and Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula). Home range size is likely larger in more arid areas of South Africa compared to equatorial Uganda (0.61 to 2.01 km2; Gilchrist & Otali 2002). The species is diurnal and foraging distance ranges from 2 to 10 km per day (Neal 1970; Rood 1975, 1986). Dispersal occurs via voluntary fission and eviction (Cant et al. 2013). Within groups, relatedness is high within (but not between) females and males (Cant et al. 2013). In Queen Elizabeth National Park, Banded Mongooses breed up to four times a year, while only one to two litter(s) per year have been recorded in drier regions (Cant & Gilchrist 2013). Mean age of first conception is 321 days and mean litter size per female at birth (all females) is estimated at 3.32 (Gilchrist et al. 2004), with a gestation period of 90 days (Cant 2000). Within groups, parturition is usually synchronous (Hodge et al. 2011). Group demography impacts female reproductive success via abortion, eviction and infanticide with younger females bearing the costs (Gilchrist 2006a; Cant et al. 2013). Fecundity and reproductive success are correlated with female age and size (Gilchrist 2006b; Nichols et al. 2012). Survival rate is low in pups (0.299) and high in adults (0.857) (Otali & Gilchrist 2004). Maximum lifespan is 13 years in males and 11 years in females (Cant & Gilchrist 2013). The species is a carrier of Leptospira interrogans, a pathogen capable of infecting humans (Jobbins et al. 2013), as well as a possible vector of rabies. The Banded Mongoose is susceptible to human tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Alexander et al. 2002) and the novel derivative M. mungi (Alexander et al. 2010). The latter has shown to be acute and cause high mortality, and to be associated with increased aggression and injury at garbage sites (Fairbanks Flint et al. 2016).
Ecosystem and cultural services: Mongooses in general are known to predate snakes and rats. Banded Mongooses are no exception and will occasionally take both.
