8o ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



roosts, besides~preying on small birds, rats, mice, and 

 reptiles. It eats carrion, and will come to traps baited 

 with any kind of meat. 



The Water Mungoose. As its name implies, this 

 creature prefers the vicinity of permanent water, and has 

 its lair in reeds and grass growing by the banks of swamps 

 and rivers. It takes readily to water and preys when 

 possible on crocodile eggs. 



The White-Tailed Mungoose. This is a large mungoose, 

 of a grizzled grey colour. It is easily distinguishable by 

 its long tail being white throughout its greater latter 

 portion. The White-Tailed Mungoose has a wide dis- 

 tribution, being met with throughout the larger portion 

 of Africa. In food, habits and size it much resembles 

 the Large Grey Mungoose, but appears to prefer denser 

 surroundings. 



Among other well-known mungooses in South Africa 

 are the Ruddy Mungoose, an inhabitant of dry districts, 

 the Small Grey Mungoose, and the Pale Mungoose. A 

 less well known kind is the Small Brown Mungoose. This 

 little animal measures some fourteen inches only in length, 

 of which five or six inches is taken up by the tail. It is 

 grizzled brown in colour, sociable in habit, prefers a 

 surrounding of rather thick forest not too far from 

 water, and uses as dwellings old white ant mounds. 



Its food consists of white ants, snails, locusts, scorpions, 

 centipedes, myriapodes, earthworms, reptiles, and the 

 eggs of ground birds and of snakes. It is believed that 

 individuals combine to attack snakes even of the most 

 deadly species, both when the latter threaten their 

 young and at other times, and that they can generally 

 kill them with impunity. Their method is to run in and 

 bite the reptile from behind, jumping back swiftly to 

 avoid its fangs, and repeating the operation until they 



