White tailed mongoose
Ichneumia albicauda
Key identification features
A large mongoose with a slender build and long legs. Its long rear legs give it a humped appearance. It has a grey coloured body, dark coloured legs and a bushy tapered, usually white, tail. However, some individuals can have entirely blackish tails. HB 47-71 cm. Wt 2.0-5.2 kg.
Habitat and social behaviour
Grassland, woodland and partly cultivated areas. It is a nocturnal carnivore that normally lives solitary but small family groups have been seen foraging together.
Similar species
The white tailed mongoose can usually easily be distinguished from the other large mongooses, the Marsh and Egyptian mongoose, by its greyish colour and white tail. The colour pattern is similar to the rare Jackson’s mongoose; the Jackson’s mongoose has only 4 short, sturdy toes, shorter legs, a shorter neck and a shorter and thicker tail, and is predominantly a forest species.
Distribution Map
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