Stripe-necked mongoose facts for kids
The stripe-necked mongoose (Urva vitticolla) is a type of mongoose that lives in the forests and bushy areas of southern India and Sri Lanka. It's known for the dark stripe on its neck.
Quick facts for kids Stripe-necked mongoose |
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| Adult in Nagarhole National Park | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Genus: | Urva |
| Species: |
U. vitticolla
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| Binomial name | |
| Urva vitticolla (Bennett, 1835)
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| Stripe-necked mongoose range | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Herpestes vitticollis |
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Contents
What Does a Stripe-necked Mongoose Look Like?
This mongoose has a strong body and short legs. Its fur can be rusty brown or a mix of grey and brown. The most special thing about it is the black stripe that runs along both sides of its neck.
Its short tail is mostly black, but the part closest to its body is grey. From head to body, it measures about 46 to 50 centimeters (about 18 to 20 inches). Its tail adds another 32 centimeters (about 12.5 inches). Male stripe-necked mongooses are usually bigger and heavier than females. Males can weigh around 3.1 kilograms (about 6.8 pounds), while females weigh about 1.7 kilograms (about 3.7 pounds).
Where Do Stripe-necked Mongooses Live?
You can find the stripe-necked mongoose mainly in the Western Ghats mountain range in India and across the island of Sri Lanka. They like to live in forests and areas with lots of shrubs.
Sometimes, they have been seen in other places, like southern Andhra Pradesh in India, but their main homes are the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka.
Daily Life and Habits
Stripe-necked mongooses are active during the day, which means they are diurnal. They spend their days looking for food. Their diet includes many different things like frogs, crabs, small deer called mouse deer, black-naped hares, rodents (like mice), birds, and reptiles.
These mongooses usually stay away from places where people live. They prefer to live near water, like rivers or old, unused water tanks. In Sri Lanka, you might find them in protected areas like national parks. They are even found at high altitudes, sometimes over 2,000 meters (about 6,500 feet) above sea level.
While we don't know a lot about how they have babies, young mongooses, called pups, have been seen in the middle of May.
Types of Stripe-necked Mongooses
There are two main types, or subspecies, of the stripe-necked mongoose. One type, called U. vitticolla vitticolla, lives in areas like the Western Ghats, Coorg, and Kerala in India. This type has fur with a more reddish color. The other type, U. vitticolla inornata, is found in the Kanara region of India. This one does not have the reddish tint in its fur.
 | Stephanie Wilson |
 | Charles Bolden |
 | Ronald McNair |
 | Frederick D. Gregory |
