THE BANDED MUNGOOSE 

 Crossarchus somalicus, Thos. 



Somali name, Shug-shug 



DESCRIPTION. This is the commonest of the Somali mun- 

 gooses. The general colour is grizzled brown or grey. The 

 long hairs are so arranged on the back that the bands of black 

 come together, thus giving it the banded appearance. 



MEASUREMENTS in the flesh of an adult female shot at Sheikh 

 were as follows : 



Head and body . .... . . 370 mm. 



Tail . . v . ||| . . . . 275 



Hindfoot . Y * . . . . 80 



Ear . '-. 25 



DISTRIBUTION. I have never seen this mungoose on the 

 coast, nor within twenty miles of it. Starting at the Golis foot- 

 hills about thirty-five miles from Berbera, it is found in suitable 

 localities almost to the edge of the waterless Haud. 



HABITS. The Shug-shug, to give it its Somali name, is invari- 

 ably seen in packs of anything from ten to a hundred individuals. 

 They always appear to be in a hurry when searching for food, and 

 look very like a swarm of small baboons as they go hopping along, 

 digging here and there for roots, insects, and in fact most things, 

 vegetable and animal, that might be considered edible. They leave 

 their holes soon after sunrise and return before sunset, when they 

 are frequently to be seen sitting warming themselves in the last 

 rays of the sun. They are more commonly seen on or near the 

 Golis Range than elsewhere, and seem to have a predilection for 

 stony ground. They, as a rule, take up their abode in a " talo " or 

 Galla grave, which consists of a large pile of stones, in the recesses 

 between which they find a suitable habitation. An old " dundumo " 

 or white-ant hill is another favourite dwelling-place of theirs. They 

 will sometimes turn on a dog if he molests them, but as a rule they 

 get away as fast as they can. They emit a powerful and disagree- 

 able odour. 



34 



