---
title: "Yellow Mongoose"
description: "Cynictis penicillata — Mammiferi. The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/yellow-mongoose
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Yellow Mongoose

> Cynictis penicillata — Mammiferi. The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family.

- Scientific name: *Cynictis penicillata*
- Category: `mammals` (Mammiferi)
- Habitats: `grassland` (Prati e campi), `savanna` (Savana), `desert` (Deserto)
- iNaturalist observations: 2722
- Wikidata: [Q732544](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q732544)
- iNaturalist taxon: [41911](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41911)

## Names

- en: Yellow Mongoose
- de: Fuchsmanguste
- es: Mangosta amarilla
- fr: Mangouste jaune
- nl: Vosmangoest
- pl: Mangustolisek afrykański

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (1903), NA (392), BW (154)

## Summary

The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family. It averages about 0.45 kg (1 lb) in weight and about 510 mm (20 in) in length. It lives in open country, semi-desert scrubland and grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It is the only species in the genus Cynictis.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_mongoose

## Photo

![Yellow Mongoose](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/yellow-mongoose/medium.jpg)

Photo: Dave Brown · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46495217

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/yellow-mongoose?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).