Description
Marsh mongoose or water mongoose, Atilax paludinosus, at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa
Date 2 November 2015, 16:41
Source Marsh mongoose or water mongoose, Atilax paludinosus, at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats/22548192738/
Author Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa https://www.flickr.com/people/93242958@N00
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_mongoose_or_water_mongoose,_Atilax_paludinosus,_at_Rietvlei_Nature_Reserve,_Gauteng,_South_Africa_(22548192738).jpg

The marsh mongoose or water mongoose (Atilax paludinosus) is a medium-sized mammal, but a large mongoose. Its weight can range from 2 to 5.5 kg. From the head to the base of the tail, marsh mongooses range from 44 to 62 cm with the tail adding 25–36 cm. It is a member of the mongoose family and the only member of its genus. Atilax paludinosus is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with a preference for permanent freshwater habitats bordered by dense vegetation, such as marshes, reed beds, and estuaries. Order: Carnivora, Family: Herpestidae, Subfamily: Herpestinae, Species: Atilax paludinosus Cuvier, 1829