Wildlifeof India
Indian Gray Mongoose
Civets, Mongooses & Hyena
Photo: sunnyjosef · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Urva edwardsii
Basic stats
Diet
Rodents, snakes, birds' eggs and hatchlings, lizards and invertebrates
Litter size
2–4 young
Gestation period
60–65 days
Size
Head and body 36–45cm; tail about 45cm
Weight
0.9–1.7kg
The Indian grey mongoose has tawny grey or iron-grey fur that is more grizzled, stiffer and coarser than in other mongooses, and a bushy tail with a pale yellow or white tip. Adults are 36–45 cm long in head and body with a tail of about the same length, and weigh 0.9–1.7 kg. It is one of the few mammals able to tell four colours apart, more than most other mammals can. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is a common animal in India, though its natural history is not well known. Prey includes rodents, snakes, birds' eggs and hatchlings, lizards and a range of invertebrates, and along the Chambal River it sometimes eats gharial eggs. It opens eggs by holding them between the paws and biting a hole in the small end. Gestation lasts 60–65 days and litters are two to four young (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Indian Gray Mongoose eat?
- Rodents, snakes, birds' eggs and hatchlings, lizards and invertebrates
- What is the litter size of the Indian Gray Mongoose?
- 2–4 young
- How long is the gestation period of the Indian Gray Mongoose?
- 60–65 days
- How big is the Indian Gray Mongoose?
- Head and body 36–45cm; tail about 45cm
- How much does the Indian Gray Mongoose weigh?
- 0.9–1.7kg