Living in colonies of up to 20 individuals in a permanent underground burrow complex, the yellow mongoose will often co-exist with ground squirrels or Suricates and share maintenance of the warren, adding new tunnels and burrows as necessary. The tunnel system has many entrances, nearby which the yellow mongoose makes its latrines. They hunt for insects and birds or eggs in the daytime and sometimes at night.
They also share a broadly similar diet (mainly insects) but differ ecologically in that Suricates locate much of their prey by digging, whereas Yellow Mongooses are surface foragers.
Members of these species don't all look alike: in the warmer north, the yellow mongooses are grey and have shorter hair and tails, and smaller bodies, than their southern counterparts.
They also share a broadly similar diet (mainly insects) but differ ecologically in that Suricates locate much of their prey by digging, whereas Yellow Mongooses are surface foragers.
