Mongoose

Celt202

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May 22, 2004
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I saw a mongoose in East Santo Domingo yesterday. It was crossing a street in a lightly populated area next to scrubland.

Rats and puppies born on the street should be worried.

Mongoose_Slender_01_fs.jpg
 
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william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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My dogs killed one.
People came from far and wide to inspect the corpse.

Very elusive, those little rascals
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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5106847565_05b1be018d_b.jpg


That's what I saw. I think that's a mongoose.

I did some googling and came to the conclusion that a Dominican juron looks like this:

800px-Hispaniola_solenodon.jpg


Creatures of Dominican Republic, The Non-Human type
Seems the Asian Mongoose was introduced to the island in the 1880's.

I've seen them often, especially on the golf course here. Quick little buggers, gone in a blink of the eye.

I've heard them referred to as a Juron by locals, but I can see they are a mongoose, not a solenodon. I've seen mongoose here, never a solenodon.

Something new learned!
 

caribmike

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Jul 9, 2009
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"Quick little buggers"

Yes they are unbelievably fast, unfortunately I was faster. I've only seen it coming in the corner of my eye, next I saw it flying through the air...
 

wrecksum

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Sep 27, 2010
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Great little animals and no danger to anyone or anything.We had them always on the farm in Kenya and I believe they were introduced here.I have just glimpsed one a couple of times in the NC which is why I had to google to see if they are endemic to the DR.

Your dog must be a superdog to get one.Ours could never get anywhere near and left them alone.
Make excellent pets if you can hand-rear a baby one,great fun but pretty mischievous as well and will destroy stuff very well, including the rockwool lining of a fridge,which was fatal for poor Angus the Mongoose
 

Drake

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Jan 1, 2002
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The biggest threat the Juron can convey is the spread of Rabbies. They are known to live a relitavly long time and are exposed to the decease due to their longevity. Most Dominicans inthe campo will kill them if they can with their machetes. I have heard of stories of people being attacked by them but it might be myths.
 

caribmike

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Jul 9, 2009
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Yep, these very well educated campesinos kill the snakes too with their machetes, because they could kill their babies (yeah, right)... and prefer to have the rats around with them which would be otherwise eaten by the snake.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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What exactly is it are they teaching in these so called schools? Perhaps another hour per week on social studies, the environment and non-taboo based commonsense.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Wrecksum and CCCCCCCCCCCCCCologne

It was three dogs - big ones.
A team effort that trapped the little rascal.

It was in my bedroom....took off outside and kabam !!
Dead juron.