Helogale parvula
Silhouette: Rebecca Groom · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) is a mongoose species native to Angola, northern Botswana, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia and East Africa. It is part of the genus Helogale, along with the Ethiopian dwarf mongoose.
The common dwarf mongoose has soft fur ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown. It has a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs and long claws. With a body length of 16–23 cm (6.3–9.1 in) and a weight of 213–341 g (7.5–12.0 oz), it is Africa's smallest member of the order Carnivora.
The common dwarf mongoose ranges from East to southern Central Africa, from Eritrea and Ethiopia to the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the Republic of South Africa. It inhabits primarily dry grassland, open forests and bushland up to an elevation of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It is especially common in areas with many termite mounds, its favorite sleeping place. It avoids dense forests and deserts.
Helogale parvula parvula Helogale parvula ivori Helogale parvula mimetra Helogale parvula nero Helogale parvula ruficeps Helogale parvula undulatus Helogale parvula varia... Wikipedia →
Recording0:26
South Africa · 2026
© Sascha Schumann · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 6 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 8 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 9 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 10 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 11 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 12 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 15 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Dwarf Mongoose sighting in Lake Manyara National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 19 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Dwarf Mongoose in Lake Manyara National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months. That is one of Lake Manyara National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 260 mm in April.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Dwarf Mongoose sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
13th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Common Dwarf Mongoose sightings, Lake Manyara National Park ranks 13th at about 20%. The best odds are in Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 60%), Tarangire National Park (Tanzania, about 60%) and Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 40%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Dwarf Mongoose is recorded against all the mammals logged in Lake Manyara National Park (6 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.
