Common kusimanse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common kusimanse |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Genus: | Crossarchus |
| Species: |
C. obscurus
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| Binomial name | |
| Crossarchus obscurus G. Cuvier, 1825
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| Common kusimanse range | |
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The common kusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus) is a small animal. It is also called the long-nosed kusimanse. This animal is active during the day, which means it is diurnal. It belongs to a group of animals called Mungotinae.
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What Does a Common Kusimanse Look Like?
The common kusimanse has a body shape that looks a bit like a weasel. Its fur is dark or reddish brown. The fur on its back is thick and wiry. On its belly, the fur is fine and soft.
This animal has a long snout and short legs. Its tail is short and stiff, tapering to a point. It has long claws, small ears, and small, dark eyes. Its nose is also quite long.
An adult common kusimanse is usually about 33 cm (13 in) long. It weighs around 1 kg (2.2 lb).
How Do Common Kusimanses Behave?
This mongoose is a very social animal. It lives in small family groups of 10 to 20 or more individuals. These groups have a clear pecking order, meaning some animals are more important than others.
The kusimanse family members talk to each other using different sounds. These sounds include whistles, chirps, and growls. They use whistles to stay in touch when they travel through the thick rainforest.
Kusimanses can climb trees, but they mostly stay on the ground. They are very protective of their home area. They mark their territory using special scent glands. They will strongly defend their area from other animals, even if the intruders are much bigger.
When a kusimanse feels threatened, it might growl or snort. It can also lunge forward, arch its back, or make its hair stand up. Kusimanse groups are nomadic, which means they don't stay in one place for long. As they move, they find shelter in tree hollows, burrows made by other animals, or termite mounds.
Young kusimanses cannot keep up with the group when they are very small. So, adult kusimanses take turns carrying the babies to new feeding spots. The adults also help to feed the young ones.
Where Do Common Kusimanses Live?
The common kusimanse lives in countries in west Africa. You can find them in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Some have also been taken to other countries for the pet trade.
Unlike most other species of mongoose, kusimanses prefer to live in forests near water. Most mongooses like open grasslands or dry, bushy areas. Kusimanses can be found from sea level up to 1000 m (3280 ft) high.
What Do Common Kusimanses Eat?
Kusimanses are active hunters and great diggers. They eat a wide variety of foods. Their diet is mainly meat-based. They eat insects, larvae, fresh water crabs, small reptiles, and small rodents.
They have excellent eyesight and a very good sense of smell. This helps them find and hunt small prey. They usually kill their prey with a single bite to the back of the neck. They also eat small amounts of different fruits and berries.
In places where kusimanses live near people, they are sometimes seen as helpful. They can act like "natural pesticides" by eating pests.
Common Kusimanse Life Cycle and Reproduction
In a kusimanse family group, only the main adult members are usually allowed to have babies. Young kusimanses become ready to have their own babies between nine months and one year old. Female kusimanses can be ready to mate up to nine times a year.
Pregnancy lasts about eight weeks. Each time, a female usually has 2 to 4 babies. They have six mammae (milk glands) to feed their young. Females can have three litters of babies each year.
Newborn kusimanses are about 13 mm (0.5 in) long. Their eyes are closed, and they have a thick layer of soft fur. After about twelve days, their eyes start to open, and they begin to look around. Around three weeks old, their mother stops feeding them milk. Their outer hairs start to grow, and they begin to find their own food. They don't reach their full adult size until they are about 6 to 9 months old. In zoos, common kusimanses can live for 10 years.
Common Kusimanses in Zoos and as Pets
Common kusimanses are often found in the exotic pet trade and in many zoos around the world. This is because they are easy to train and are social animals. A kusimanse can become very close to its owner. However, it usually does not get along well with other types of household pets.
These animals are very energetic. They need a lot of space to satisfy their natural urge to wander. If they don't have enough space, they might pace back and forth or become aggressive. Their diet can include various things like crickets, mealworms, or mice, along with good quality cat food.
In zoos or as pets, kusimanses can easily become overweight. It's important to make sure they eat a varied diet and get enough exercise. They will often try to eat almost anything that looks like food. They might become aggressive if someone tries to take away something they think is food. Captive breeding (breeding animals in zoos) is not common for kusimanses, but it has been done.
Conservation Status
The common kusimanse is not considered a threatened or endangered animal. We don't know the exact number of kusimanses in the wild, but they are not thought to be at risk of disappearing.
 | Selma Burke |
 | Pauline Powell Burns |
 | Frederick J. Brown |
 | Robert Blackburn |
