The Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) is a species of mongoose native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are a social species that live in packs of up to 20 individuals, often foraging together. They're known for traveling in a tight formation to stay safe from common predators such as lions, leopards, jackals, wild dogs, marabou storks, martial eagles, honey badgers, monitor lizards and large snakes. They often take up residence in termite mounds to make their burrow chambers. These mongooses are very intelligent due to their social lifestyle and will work together to ward off threats and find food. Banded mongooses have often been seen forming a symbiotic relationship with warthogs. Warthogs will often walk up to a pack of mongooses and simply lie down, signaling for the mongooses to come closer. They will then begin climbing on the warthogs back and begin nibbling insects and parasites like ticks off of the warthog's back and behind its ears. The warthog is cleansed of its parasites and the mongooses get an easy meal from this relationship.
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