Wildlifeof Nepal
Indian Grey Mongoose
Civets, Linsangs & Mongooses
Photo: sunnyjosef · CC BY 4.0
Urva edwardsii
Basic stats
Diet
Rodents, snakes, eggs and hatchlings, lizards and invertebrates
Range
Arabian Peninsula and Iran east through Pakistan, India and Nepal to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
Litter size
2–4 young
Gestation period
60–65 days
Size
Head and body 36–45cm; tail 45cm
Weight
0.9–1.7kg
The Indian grey mongoose is tawny or iron grey, with fur that is more grizzled, stiffer and coarser than in other mongooses, and a bushy tail with a pale yellow or white tip. Adults measure 36 to 45cm in head-and-body length, with a tail of about 45cm, and weigh 0.9 to 1.7kg (Sterndale 1884 and Graham 2004, as reported on Wikipedia).
It is generally accepted to occur from Arabia and Iran east through Pakistan, India and Nepal to Bangladesh. Its prey includes rodents, snakes, eggs and hatchlings, lizards and invertebrates, and along the Chambal River in India it occasionally feeds on gharial eggs. It opens eggs by holding them between its paws and biting a hole in the small end. Gestation lasts 60 to 65 days, with two to four young.
Quick answers
- What does the Indian Grey Mongoose eat?
- Rodents, snakes, eggs and hatchlings, lizards and invertebrates
- Where is the Indian Grey Mongoose found?
- Arabian Peninsula and Iran east through Pakistan, India and Nepal to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
- What is the litter size of the Indian Grey Mongoose?
- 2–4 young
- How long is the gestation period of the Indian Grey Mongoose?
- 60–65 days
- How big is the Indian Grey Mongoose?
- Head and body 36–45cm; tail 45cm
- How much does the Indian Grey Mongoose weigh?
- 0.9–1.7kg