Banded Mongoose Scientific Name: Mungos mungo Range: South of the Sahara desert in Africa; from Gambia to Ethiopia down to South Africa Habitat: Savannah, brush, and open woodland areas Natural Diet: Insects and other invertebrates, birds, reptiles, rodents, carrion, and snakes Zoo Diet: Mice, canine diet, insectivore diet, variety of produce Physical  Characteristics: Their coat is dark brown to brownish grey with dark bands across their backs. They are 12 to 16 inches long with an eight inch tail and weigh 3 to 5 pounds. Behavior: Banded mongooses live in large groups, called troops, of 5 to 30 individuals. They mark their home ranges using a scent that they secrete.  For dens they often use burrows abandoned by other animals.  Banded mongooses typically stay on the ground but they are good climbers and can swim to avoid danger.  When their prey has poisonous spines, such as a caterpillar, or noxious skin secretions, such as a toad, the banded mongoose will roll the prey in the dirt until the spines or skin secretion has been rubbed off. Reproduction: The banded mongoose has a gestation period of about 60 days.  Females give birth to 2-6 young in the den.