During the month, a mummified Banded Mongoose was spotted wedged between rocks in a rocky outcrop in camp.
This is an extremely rare scenario to come across in the bush, especially in the climate we find ourselves in. Mummified remains are protected or preserved - the soft tissue components do not decay as they normally would. Natural mummification can only occur in exceptionally limited circumstances - circumstances which we do not often find in the right place at the right time.
This is not only applicable to the lowveld, or particular biomes - it applies globally, in almost every instance of an animal’s death.
For any animal to naturally mummify, the animal’s body must remain in those specific conditions for long enough that it becomes preserved. This occurs because the conditions inhibit decay by inhibiting the activity of micro-organisms, insects and macro-organisms. Examples of the perfect conditions for natural mummification include extreme cold, a lack of oxygen, extreme aridity, extremely alkaline or acidic environments, very salty environments, or a combination of any of the above, amongst others.
Natural mummification is, therefore, limited to extreme environments such as deserts, glacial regions, high altitudes and bogs.
Considering the extreme conditions needed for even partial mummification to occur, it is incredibly unlikely that we would ever come across a mummified animal at Ingwelala. Our environmental conditions are mild in comparison to the extreme environments classically associated with mummification. However, with the perfect conditions in a very small and limited space within our environment, it has happened! In reality, this probably happens more than we realise - purely because where they may mummify is likely not where we would find them easily - but those numbers would still be very limited. Especially if we consider that it would be much more likely that the animals would be eaten by predators, arthropods or scavengers long before they could possibly mummify.
In this instance, it seems the mongoose’s body was well-hidden within a crevice of a rocky outcrop, and in that position, it was inaccessible to larger predators or scavengers. Although possibly partially eaten by arthropods, and with some of the softer tissue having disintegrated, with the dry winter months and intense heat generated by the rocks, it seems as though the perfect environment was created for long enough that most of it was preserved!
Although this may not be everyone’s “cup of tea”, it is fascinating to be able to examine such a specimen so closely, and to use it as a learning opportunity. It is not often that we get to observe some of the intricacies of a species’ adaptations so clearly, and as such we had to share it with those who may be interested in such an unusual find. The most striking features that are noticeable on this mongoose are undoubtedly the teeth, jaw structure and the claws - still perfectly intact on the feet.
Mongooses are close relatives of the hyena family - the closest relatives that hyenas have. Although that may be difficult to imagine, it becomes a much clearer connection when we compare the tooth structures to those of a Spotted Hyena. Included are comparison images of a Spotted Hyena skull with that of the mummified mongoose. In the images, you can clearly see that not only are the individual tooth structures almost identical, but the overall shape, size and distribution relative to body size are an incredibly close match. This means that mongooses, like hyenas, have an exceptionally strong bite force relative to their body size. This is thanks to the robust jaw bones, extensive musculature of the jaw and head, and large, strong teeth relative to the body size.
Further to having a powerful bite force, mongooses also owe their success to their strong, long claws and feet - allowing them to dig deeply and fast to find food and shelter. Being a small predator, especially one of the smallest predators we find here, means that a diverse diet of spiders, insects, scorpions, other arthropods, small mammals, reptiles, birds and eggs is required to maintain such a high metabolism, all while evading larger predators. These impressive claws and strong feet and legs are the perfect adaptations to allow mongooses to be as successful as they are, especially when combined with their social structure, intelligence, bite force and many other fantastic adaptations.
It is also fascinating to note that the mummified mongoose was colonised by wasps at some point - the empty nest casings of which were still attached to the hardened skin of the mongoose.
We hope you enjoyed this unusual find. Thank you to John Llewellyn for spotting this mongoose and sharing it with us!
by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Tess Woollgar.