The cobra's enemies
"Mongooses are small carnivores of the family Viverridae. The true mongooses make up the subfamily Herpestinae and include 13 genera and about 30 species, almost all native to Africa. The Madagascan mongooses, a second group, constitute the subfamily Galidiinae and consist of 4 genera and 7 species. In addition, some of the banded palm civets, subfamily Hemigalinae, are also known as mongooses, including the Bornean mongoose, Diplogale, and the Madagascan small-toothed mongooses, or falanoucs, Eupleres. Conversely, certain mongooses are popularly called suricates, meerkats, cusimanses, or ichneumons. Mongooses typically have a pointed head, a long tail, and thick hair except on the lower legs. They are commonly terrestrial, diurnal, and solitary. The suricate, Suricata suricatta, of southern Africa, however, lives in colonies; the African marsh mongoose, Atilax paludinosus, is semiaquatic; and the little-known Madagascan mongoose, Galidia, can be found in trees. Mongooses feed on a wide variety of foods, including small mammals, reptiles, birds' eggs, and insects. Among the better-known mongooses are those of the genus Herpestes, which range from southern Europe into Africa and southern Asia. The Indian gray mongoose, H. edwardsi, which may reach 50 cm (20 in) long plus a 41-cm (16-in) tail, and weigh about 2.3 kg (5 lb), is the one portrayed in Kipling's Jungle Book. The similar gold-spotted mongoose, H. javanicus or H. auropunctatus, was introduced into the Hawaiian Islands and to the West Indies and other Caribbean islands to control rats and snakes; although it did feed on rats and snakes, it concentrated on and seriously depleted populations of native birds and mammals. Mongooses of this genus are famous for their snake-fighting ability and are often portrayed fighting a cobra. Research has shown that although the mongoose is tolerant of small dosages of cobra venom, it is not immune to it. Mongooses are almost always victorious because of their speed, agility, and timing and also because of their thick coat."
