Meller's mongoose
Meller's mongoose is a small brown mongoose native to savannas and woodlands of southeastern Africa. It is the only member of the genus Rhynchogale. The Meller's mongoose lives alone and is active at night, feeding on termites or other small insects and animals. While somewhat rare, it is adaptable and faces no serious threats. It is a member of the mongoose family, a group of fox-like animals native to Asia, southern Europe, and Africa.
Taxonomy
The scientific name Rhinogale melleri was proposed by John Edward Gray in 1865 for a grey-brown mongoose zoological specimen collected in East Africa. It was placed in the genus Rhynchogale by Oldfield Thomas in 1894.Description
Meller's mongoose is a medium to large-size mongoose with a light to dark brown body and a long tail. At close quarters the upper parts of Meller's mongoose are coarsely grizzled. The lower parts of the limbs are darker than the upper parts of the body. The under parts are generally lighter in colour than the upper parts. It measures about in length overall and weighs. The tail is slightly less than half the overall length. The tail is variable in colour and may be black, brown or white, although dark brown to black is the most usual. Meller's mongoose may be confused with the white-tailed mongoose; however, it is smaller and blacker overall than this species.Distribution and habitat
Meller's mongoose ranges from central Tanzania south through Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, to Eswatini and northeastern South Africa. It has been recorded up to an elevation of in Tanzania.It lives in savannas and is associated mainly with open woodland and grassland and marshy areas with termitaria. It lives in miombo woodlands in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi and montane bamboo forests in Tanzania. It appears to require dense cover throughout the year and is rarely seen in areas where fires are extensive and frequent.