mongoose

mon·goose

M0386300 (mŏng′go͞os′, mŏn′-)n. pl. mon·goos·es Any of various carnivorous mammals of the family Herpestidae, native to Asia, Africa, and southern Europe and introduced elsewhere, having a slender agile body and a long tail, and noted for the ability to seize and kill venomous snakes.

[Marathi mangūs, of Dravidian origin.]

mongoose

(ˈmɒŋˌɡuːs) n, pl -gooses (Animals) any small predatory viverrine mammal of the genus Herpestes and related genera, occurring in Africa and from S Europe to SE Asia, typically having a long tail and brindled coat[C17: from Marathi mangūs, of Dravidian origin]

mon•goose

(ˈmɒŋˌgus, ˈmɒn-)

n., pl. -goos•es. any of several Old World genera of slender, ferretlike carnivores, esp. of the genus Herpestes, some species of which are noted for their ability to kill cobras. [1690–1700; < Marathi mangūs, variant of muṅgūs]

mon·goose

(mŏng′go͞os′) Any of various mammals of Asia and Africa that resemble weasels and are noted for their ability to kill poisonous snakes such as cobras.

Thesaurus

Noun

mongoose - agile grizzled Old World viverrine; preys on snakes and rodentsviverrine, viverrine mammal - small cat-like predatory mammals of warmer parts of the Old Worldgenus Herpestes, Herpestes - mongoosesHerpestes nyula, Indian mongoose - keen-sighted viverrine of southern Asia about the size of a ferret; often domesticatedHerpestes ichneumon, ichneumon - northern African mongoose; in ancient times thought to devour crocodile eggs

Translations

mongoose

mongoose,

name for a large number of small, carnivorous, terrestrial Old World mammals of the civetcivet
or civet cat,
any of a large group of mostly nocturnal mammals of the Old World family Viverridae (civet family), which also includes the mongoose. Civets are not true cats, but the civet family is related to the cat family (Felidae).
..... Click the link for more information. family. They are found in S Asia and in Africa, with one species extending into S Spain. Mongooses are fierce, active hunters, feeding on a variety of ground-living animals, as well as eggs, and, in some species, fruits. They live in a variety of habitats and occupy rock crevices or holes, or dig burrows. Unlike civets, they lack scent glands. Typical mongooses, species of the genus Herpestes, are weasellike in appearance, with long, slender bodies, pointed faces, and bushy tails. Their hair is coarse and shaggy. They range in length from 1 1-2 to 3 1-2 ft (45–106 cm) including the tail, which is about as long as the head and body. The Indian gray mongoose, H. edwardsi, is known for its ability to kill snakes, including cobras. A medium-sized mongoose, it lives in arid rocky or brushy areas, or cultivated pastures. When attacking a snake, the mongoose provokes it to strike repeatedly, avoiding it by agile dodging; when the snake is exhausted the mongoose seizes its head in its jaws and crushes the skull. Skill in evading the snake is learned, and young mongooses often die of snakebite. However, ingested snake venom is harmless to the mongoose, which eats the snake's head and venom glands. The Indian mongoose is easily tamed and is often kept as a pet and a destroyer of household vermin. Imported into the West Indies to kill rats, it destroyed most of the small, ground-living native fauna. Because of their destructiveness, it is illegal to import mongooses into the United States, even for zoos. The Egyptian gray mongoose, or ichneumon, H. ichneumon, is a large species common in most of Africa and in S Spain. It lives in damp, forested regions and preys on small terrestrial and freshwater animals. The ancient Egyptians domesticated this mongoose, which they considered sacred. The marsh mongoose, Atilax paludinosus, lives near bodies of water in Africa and dives for food. The meerkat (Suricata suricatta), or suricate, is a social mongoose of S African grasslands; meerkats live in large communal burrows and prey chiefly on insects and other small invertebrates. Mongooses are classified in approximately 12 genera of the phylum ChordataChordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Viverridae.

Bibliography

See H. E. Hinton and A. Dunn, Mongooses (1967); A. Rasa, Mongoose Watch (1985).

mongoose

[′mäŋ‚güs] (vertebrate zoology) The common name for 39 species of carnivorous mammals which are members of the family Viveridae; they are plantigrade animals and have a long slender body, short legs, nonretractile claws, and scent glands.

mongoose

any small predatory viverrine mammal of the genus Herpestes and related genera, occurring in Africa and from S Europe to SE Asia, typically having a long tail and brindled coat

mongoose

mon·goose

mongoose

mon•goose

mon·goose

mongoose

mongoose,

Bibliography

mongoose

mongoose

mongoose

Words related to mongoose

noun agile grizzled Old World viverrine

Related Words