The Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) is the smallest viverrid of the Afican continent. Viverrids are a family of carnivorous mammals that includes civets, ginets, mongooses and alike.
Its small body barely reaches 30 cm in length, with a weight that usually does not reach 300 g. The tail can measure between 12-20 cm.
Its hair is greyish-brown (sometimes reddish brown), although the tail and legs are darker and the ventral parts lighter.
It has non-retractable nails.
It’s a gregarious species. They form matriarchal and matrilineal groups (i.e. the youngest descendant will be the next dominant). Only an older female is dominant, and with her partner they are the only ones in the group that reproduce.
They inhabit the savannah, wooded regions, scrublands and mountains, and can be found from sea level to 1800 m above sea level.
They have a varied diet: insects, worms, spiders, vegetables, small rodents and reptiles…
