Cynictis penicillata
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% 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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mongoose sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, based on 109 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 28 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, April and August–September
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mongoose in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, against about 40% in March, May–July and October–January, 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.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Yellow Mongoose sightings, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 40%) and Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Herpestidae
The closest relatives of the Yellow Mongoose that you can see in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (family Herpestidae, Mongooses) are Slender-tailed Meerkat (about 40%) and Slender Mongoose (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow Mongoose is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (109 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.
