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. Characteristics 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. Taxonomy Viverra mungo was the scientific name proposed by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788 for a mongoose that was described earlier by several other naturalists. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several naturalists described mongoose specimens and proposed subspecies: Adail banded mongoose, M. m. adailensis (Heuglin, 1861) Boror banded mongoose, M. m. bororensis (Roberts, 1929) North-west banded mongoose, M. m. caurinus (Thomas, 1926) East African banded mongoose, M. m. colonus (Heller, 1911) M. m. fasciatus (Desmarest, 1823) Namibia banded mongoose, M. m. grisonax (Thomas, 1926) Schwarz's banded mongoose, M. m. mandjarum (Schwarz, 1915) M. m. marcrurus (Thomas, 1907) Botswana banded mongoose, M. m. ngamiensis (Roberts, 1932) M. m. pallidipes (Roberts, 1929) M. m. rossi (Roberts, 1929) M. m. senescens (Thomas & Wroughton, 1907) M. m. somalicus (Thomas, 1895) Talbot's banded mongoose, M. m. talboti (Thomas & Wroughton, 1907) M. m. zebra (Rüppell, 1835) M. m. zebroides (Lönnberg, 1908) Distribution and habitat The banded mongoose is found in a large part of East, Southeast and South-Central Africa. There are also populations in the northern savannas of West Africa. The banded mongoose lives in savannas, open forests and grassland, especially near water, but