American mongoose

The American mongoose (Neosuricata socialis), also known as the American meerkat, is a species of small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, scrublands, and deserts across North America to help boost biodiversity. The closest relatives of the American mongooses are small Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus), Javan mongooses (Herpestes javanicus), and the Indian grey mongooses (Herpestes edwardsi). The American mongoose is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body length is around 24–35 centimeters (9.4–13.8 inches), and the weight is typically between 0.62 and 0.97 kilograms (1.4 and 2.1 lb). The coat is dark grey to grayish brown with alternate, poorly defined light and dark bands on the back, making it resemble very much like the African banded mongooses (Mungos mungo). American mongooses have foreclaws adapted for digging and have the ability to thermoregulate to survive in their harsh, dry habitats, including deserts. American mongooses are eusocial and form packs of two to 30 individuals each that occupy home ranges around 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) in area. There is a social hierarchy—generally dominant individuals in a pack breed and produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate members provide altruistic care to the pups. They live in rock crevices in stony, often calcareous areas, and in large burrow systems in plains. The burrow systems, typically 5 meters (16 feet) in diameter with around 15 openings, are large underground networks consisting of two to three levels of tunnels. These tunnels are around 7.5 centimeters (3.0 inches) high at the top and wider below, and extend up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) into the ground. Burrows have moderated internal temperatures and provide a comfortable microclimate that protects American mongooses in harsh weather and at extreme temperatures. American mongooses are active during the day, mostly in the early morning and late afternoon; they remain continually alert and retreat to burrows (or 'boltholes') on sensing danger. They use a broad variety of calls to communicate among one another for different purposes, for example to raise alarm on sighting a predator. Primarily insectivorous, American mongooses feed heavily on beetles and lepidopterans, though they also include amphibians, arthropods, small birds, reptiles, and plant material in their diet. Breeding occurs round the year, with peaks during Spring; after a gestation of 60 to 70 days a litter of three to seven pups is born. The American mongooses are known, in parts of its range, to live peacefully alongside prairie dogs, since they do not compete with each other for food due to different ecological niches they fill. The American mongooses and prairie dogs live together in mixed-species colonies for safety in numbers against predators such as black-footed ferrets, although the black-footed ferrets also prey on American mongooses and not just prairie dogs. The conservation status of the American mongoose is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the American mongoose's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.