It is hard to guess what a Indian grey mongoose weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Indian grey mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi) on average weights 1.3 kg (2.87 lbs).
The Indian grey mongoose is from the family Herpestidae (genus: Herpestes). When reaching adult age, they grow up to 39.8 cm (1′ 4″). On average, Indian grey mongooses can have babies 3 times per year with a litter size of 2.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The Indian grey mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi) is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia. In North Indian languages (Hindi/Punjabi) it is called Nevlaa. The grey mongoose is commonly found in open forests, scrublands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrows, hedgerows and thickets, among groves of trees, and takes shelter under rocks or bushes and even in drains. It is very bold and inquisitive but wary, seldom venturing far from cover. It climbs very well. Usually found singly or in pairs. It preys on rodents, snakes, birds’ eggs and hatchlings, lizards and variety of invertebrates. Along the Chambal River it occasionally feeds on gharial eggs. It breeds throughout the year.
Animals of the same family as a Indian grey mongoose
We found other animals of the Herpestidae family:
- Javan mongoose with a weight of 758 grams
- Ring-tailed vontsira with a weight of 815 grams
- Black-footed mongoose bringing 2.62 kilos (5.78 lbs) to the scale
- White-tailed mongoose bringing 3.66 kilos (8.07 lbs) to the scale
- Jackson’s mongoose bringing 2.5 kilos (5.51 lbs) to the scale
- Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose with a weight of 550 grams
- Liberian mongoose bringing 1.82 kilos (4.01 lbs) to the scale
- Meerkat with a weight of 730 grams
- Crab-eating mongoose bringing 2.38 kilos (5.25 lbs) to the scale
- Ruddy mongoose bringing 1.7 kilos (3.75 lbs) to the scale
Animals with the same weight as a Indian grey mongoose
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Herpestes edwardsi:
- Boodie with a weight of 1.45 kilos (3.2 lbs)
- Northern viscacha with a weight of 1.22 kilos (2.69 lbs)
- Bristle-spined rat with a weight of 1.3 kilos (2.87 lbs)
- Brown greater galago with a weight of 1.22 kilos (2.69 lbs)
- Northern olingo with a weight of 1.25 kilos (2.76 lbs)
- Back-striped weasel with a weight of 1.5 kilos (3.31 lbs)
- Common kusimanse with a weight of 1.39 kilos (3.06 lbs)
- Sable with a weight of 1.17 kilos (2.58 lbs)
- Northern brushtail possum with a weight of 1.55 kilos (3.42 lbs)
- Grizzled giant squirrel with a weight of 1.33 kilos (2.93 lbs)
Animals with the same size as a Indian grey mongoose
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Indian grey mongoose:
- Sunda flying lemur with a size of 38 cm (1′ 3″)
- Humboldt’s hog-nosed skunk with a size of 35.4 cm (1′ 2″)
- Fennec fox with a size of 37.5 cm (1′ 3″)
- European polecat with a size of 35.9 cm (1′ 3″)
- Eastern lesser bamboo lemur with a size of 33.5 cm (1′ 2″)
- Northern viscacha with a size of 34.2 cm (1′ 2″)
- Cacomistle with a size of 42.5 cm (1′ 5″)
- Banded mongoose with a size of 36.3 cm (1′ 3″)
- European rabbit with a size of 40 cm (1′ 4″)
- Red and white giant flying squirrel with a size of 41 cm (1′ 5″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Indian grey mongoose
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (2) as a Indian grey mongoose: