Yellow mongoose
| Yellow mongoose | |
|---|---|
| An adult yellow mongoose in Etosha | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Genus: | Cynictis Ogilby, 1833 |
| Species: | C. penicillata |
| Binomial name | |
| Cynictis penicillata (Cuvier, 1829) | |
| Yellow mongoose range | |
The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family. It averages about 0.45 kg (1 lb) in weight and about 510 mm (20 in) in length. It lives in open country, semi-desert scrubland and grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It is the only species in the genus Cynictis.