in Animals, Mammals, Small Predators

Mongooses – The Snakes Eaters

mongoose-fighting-a-cobra image
Mongooses often attack and eat cobra snakes.
The Seasons
The Seasons

Few animals are as scary as a hooded cobra, but mongooses aren’t afraid of them. Cobras are so poisonous that one bite can kill a human in 30 minutes, but mongooses often attack and eat these snakes.

A mongoose moves very quickly to avoid a cobra’s bite. Scientist think mongooses might be immune to snake venom so it doesn’t hurt them. Mongooses also have thick skin and fur, which protects them from a cobra’s fangs.

Mongoose Image - Science for Kids All About Mongooses
Mongooses live in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe. Mongooses are small, no larger than a cat. Read on for more all about mongooses.

Besides snakes, mongooses eat lizards, insects, beetles, eggs, fruit, birds and small mammals. But you won’t see any mongooses in your neighborhood. Mongooses live in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe. People have brought them to Costa Rica and Hawaii, but it’s against the law to bring them to the U.S.

Mongoose Fighting a Cobra Image
Mongooses often attack and eat cobra snakes

Fun Facts about Mongooses for Kids

  • Mongooses are small, no larger than a cat.
  • Some mongooses have banded fur.
  • Mongooses often live in packs. One member of the pack stands guard. It whistles or cries to alert the other mongooses of trouble. The pack hides underground until it’s safe to come out.
  • Mongooses are good moms. The babies are born in a den and stay there for a few weeks. When the babies come out, all the mongooses help care for them. It’s like a big mongoose daycare!
  • A baby mongoose is called a pub. A number of babies is called a litter.
  • A group of mongooses is known by different names: Gang – Pack – Mob – Troop.
Baby Mongoose Riding its Mother's Back Image
Mongooses are good moms.

Mongoose Vocabulary

  1. Immune: Protected from
  2. Venom: Snake poison
  3. Alert: Call or inform
  4. Den: Cave or hole in the ground
A Pack of Mongoose Against a Snake Image
Sometimes mongooses live alone, but they also live in packs. They share their food and help each other.

Learn More All About Mongooses

Watch a mongoose duke it out with a cobra:

A video documentary clip of an Indian Gray Mongoose preying on a Cobra Snake.

Mongoose Q&A

Question: Are mongooses nocturnal?

Answer: Mongooses are diurnal, which means they are awake during the day.

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Question: Are mongooses social?

Answer: Sometimes mongooses live alone, but they also live in packs. They share their food and help each other.

 

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