Marsh Mongoose

The marsh mongoose's fur is dark reddish brown to black with white and fawn coloured guard hairs. The hair behind the neck and in front of the back is short, but longer on the hind legs and on the tail. Its muzzle is short with a fawn coloured mouth, short whiskers and a naked rhinarium. It has 3.1.3.23.1.3.2 × 2 = 36 teeth. Its short ears are round. It has two nipples. Its feet have five flexible digits each with curved claws, but without any webbing. The soles of its feet are naked. Females measure 48.72 cm (19.18 in) in head-to-body length, and males 51.38 cm (20.23 in), with a 32.18–34.11 cm (12.67–13.43 in) long tail. In weight, adults range from 2.56 to 2.95 kg (5.6 to 6.5 lb). Both sexes have anal glands in a pouch that produce a musky smelling secretion. Female marsh mongooses have 36 chromosomes, and males 35, as one Y chromosome is translocated to an autosome.

The marsh mongoose occurs across much of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and The Gambia to Ethiopia, and throughout much of Central, Eastern and parts of Southern Africa. It inhabits freshwater wetlands, marshes and swamps along slow-moving rivers and streams, in forested, jungle and savanna regions. It is occurs in river deltas, estuarine and brackish-water habitats in coastal areas. It was likely introduced by humans to Pemba Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago. In Guinea's National Park of Upper Niger, it was recorded during surveys conducted in 1996 to 1997. In Gabon's Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, it was recorded only in forested habitats during a two-month survey in 2012. In the Ethiopian Highlands, it was recorded at an elevation of 3,950 m (12,960 ft) in Bale Mountains National Park.

The marsh mongoose is primarily a solitary species. It is an excellent swimmer and can dive for up to 15 seconds, using its feet to paddle. On land, it usually trots slowly, but can also move fast. Radio-collared marsh mongooses in KwaZulu-Natal were active from shortly after sunset until after midnight showing a crepuscular activity pattern. A radio-collared male marsh mongoose in Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve was most active during early mornings and late evenings, but rested by day in burrows situated in dry areas above water and mud in a dense cover of high grasses and climbing plants.

Feeding behaviour and diet. Feeding behaviour of eight captive marsh mongooses was studied in 1984. When the mongooses sighted prey in the water, they swam or walked towards it, used their digits to seek it out, but kept their heads above water. Once located, they grabbed it with the mouth and killed it outside the water. They killed rodents and frogs by biting them in the head, and occasionally also shook them. When finished eating, they wiped their mouths with the forefeet. They broke eggs by throwing them backwards between the legs. Scat of marsh mongooses collected around Lake St Lucia contained foremost remains of crustaceans, amphibians, insects and fish. Marsh mongooses were observed while carrying mudcrabs (Scylla serrata) ashore. …