Mungos mungo
Silhouette: Birgit Lang · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) is a mongoose species native from the Sahel to Southern Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds. While most mongoose species live solitary lives, the banded mongoose live in colonies with a complex social structure.
The banded mongoose is a sturdy mongoose with a large head, small ears, short, muscular limbs and a long tail, almost as long as the rest of the body. Animals of wetter areas are larger and darker colored than animals of dryer regions. The abdominal part of the body is higher and rounder than the breast area. The rough fur is grayish brown and black, and there are several dark brown to black horizontal bars across the back. The limbs and snout are darker, while the underparts are lighter than the rest of the body. Banded mongooses have long strong claws that allow them to dig in the soil. The nose color of banded mongoose varies from gray-brown to orange-red.
An adult animal can reach a length of 30 to 45 cm and a weight of 1.5 to 2.25 kg. The tail is 15 to 30 cm long. Wikipedia →
Recording0:19
Botswana · 2019
© Dewald du Plessis · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:31
South Africa · 2024
© Simon Attwood · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:32
South Africa · 2017
© magdastlucia · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 8 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 10 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 11 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 13 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 14 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 15 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 16 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 17 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 18 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 19 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 20 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 21 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 22 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 23 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 24 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 25 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dar es-Salaam | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Mongoose sighting in Ruaha National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 16 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and November
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Mongoose in Ruaha National Park on a given day, against about 10% in January–February, August and October, the lowest months. Those are among Ruaha National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 180 mm in January. March and April have too few records to rate.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banded 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.
5th of 25
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Banded Mongoose sightings, Ruaha National Park ranks 5th at about 50%. The best odds are in Tarangire National Park (Tanzania, about 70%), Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 60%) and Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Banded Mongoose that you can see in Ruaha National Park (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are Lion (about 80%), Leopard (about 40%) and Painted Hunting Dog (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Banded Mongoose is recorded against all the mammals logged in Ruaha National Park (8 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.
