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Suspicious Buddies (62)
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![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5730 W: 606 N: 3476]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (9311) | Dwarf mongoose - Helogale parvula
I found these busy bodies to be rather difficult to photograph as they are small, zippy, hipper alert, very suspicious, and they just don't sit still for a moment. This was the case with all 56 of these little rascals we saw during our 18 days visit to the Kruger Park.
Our holiday was over in a blink of an eye, or so it felt anyway, and sadly we had to return home and join the rat-race once again. Over the next number of weeks I will obviously endeavour to entertain you with the sights and captures of my trip and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did while taking the shots.
As a matter of interest I just want to mention a couple of general aspects about our trip. Since I like statistics, my wife and I log all species and the daily numbers seen. As a result I can tell that we saw 278 different species in total. This includes all mammals, reptiles, or birds, but it excludes all the small "LBJ's". We averaged between 130-165 species per day. As an example we have seen 917 elephants, 66 lions, 2 401 buffalo's, 377 giraffes, 55 fish eagles, 350 Egyptian geese, 357 yellow-billed hornbills, etc., just to mention a few. Add to this the spectacular landscape and expansive views and you will know why the Kruger Park is such a great and popular reserve to visit.
Description
One of Africa's smallest carnivores, with a fairly short but sleek and glossy coat, dark to grey-brown and some with a reddish-brown tinge. The appearance is somewhat grizzled. The tail is the same colour as the body, and well haired but not bushy.
Distribution
Southwards from Eritrea and Ethiopia to Mpumalanga and Mozambique in South-eastern Africa and across central Africa to Angola.
Habitat
Open woodland and sparse savanna, as well as rocky areas.
Behaviour
Strictly diurnal and terrestrial, with troops usually numbering 10 (40 have been recorded). They occupy a fixed home range of 2-30ha. Within a home range a troop could have up to 20 dens, often within termitaria. Each troop has a dominant female and male, with the rest of the colony falling into a 'pecking order' with the younger animals ranking highest – an unusual departure from the rest of the mammal world – and females always dominant over males. When foraging they retain contact with one another by uttering soft 'twittering' calls. During the early morning they usually sun-bask on rocks or logs, with much time being spent on grooming.
Food
Insects, other invertebrates and to a lesser extent small reptiles, birds and their eggs. Fruit has also been recorded.
Reproduction
Usually only the dominant female breeds, but all troop members care for the young. Births mainly coincide with the rainy season, with litter sizes ranging from 1-7, dropped after a gestation period of 50-54 days.
Source: "Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa" by Chris & Tilde Stuart, Struik publishers.
Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0. |
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