Crossarchus

Crossarchus is a genus of mongoose, commonly referred to as kusimanse (often cusimanse), mangue, or dwarf mongoose. Of three subfamilies of Herpestidae (Herpestinae, Mungotinae and Galidiinae), dwarf mongooses belong to Herpestinae or Mungotinae, which are small, highly social mongooses.

Nomenclature and etymology

They are known in French as Mangouste brune and in German as Dunkelkusimanse.

Range and habitat

Members of this genus are found in the swamplands and forests of central and western Africa, in the countries of Ghana,Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Species

Diet

They feed on insects, larvae, small reptiles, crabs and berries. They use their claws and snouts for digging in leaf litter, under rotted trees and stones for the insects and larvae. They will also wade in to shallow streams looking for freshwater crabs.