Cynictis penicillata
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family. It averages about 0.45 kg (1 lb) in weight and about 510 mm (20 in) in length. It lives in open country, semi-desert scrubland and grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It is the only species in the genus Cynictis.
Herpestes penicillatus was the scientific name proposed by Georges Cuvier in 1829 for a mongoose specimen from the Cape. The generic name Cynictis was proposed by William Ogilby in 1833 for a specimen collected in Kaffraria.
The yellow mongoose is the only member of the genus Cynictis; 12 subspecies have been described, but their status is unclear. At least four subspecies have been recognised: Southern yellow mongoose (C. p. penicillata) In general, the yellow mongoose has lighter highlights on the underbelly and chin, a bushy tail, and a complete lack of sexual dimorphism. Southern yellow mongooses are larger, have yellow or reddish fur, longer fur, and a longer tail with a characteristic white tip. Northern... Wikipedia →
Recording1:07
South Africa · 2024
© Marion Maclean · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mongoose sighting in De Hoop Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 18 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and August
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mongoose in De Hoop Nature Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in April–June and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow Mongoose sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Yellow Mongoose sightings, De Hoop Nature Reserve ranks 4th at about 30%. The best odds are in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 40%), Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 40%) and Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow Mongoose is recorded against all the mammals logged in De Hoop Nature Reserve (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
