Mongoose (live, backyard, snakes)

[Sandhillian]

Wow - my dog just got into an altercation with a mongoose! This is the second mongoose to come into our yard in the last few weeks. I didn't even know Puerto Rico had any wild life. In the three years I've lived here I had only seen birds, spiders, insects, reptiles and frogs. Are mongoose common here? Are they often rabid?

[traveler00]

Originally Posted by Sandhillian

Wow - my dog just got into an altercation with a mongoose! This is the second mongoose to come into our yard in the last few weeks. I didn't even know Puerto Rico had any wild life. In the three years I've lived here I had only seen birds, spiders, insects, reptiles and frogs. Are mongoose common here? Are they often rabid?

Absolutely! Have your dog rabies vaccined, as mongoose can carry the disease.

The story goes that mongooses were introduced to the island by the Spaniards (back when dogs were tied up with "longaniza") to fight either rats (they also brought in their ships) or snakes. It turned out that mongooses are diurnal and rats nocturnal, so they never encountered.

Try not to confront a mongoose, as they can attack back, but only if they find themselves cornered. Usually they'll just run away from humans.

Mongooses are also called "ardillas" (squirrels) in the countryside.

[Sandhillian]

Thanks for the advice/info!

[traveler00]

Originally Posted by Sandhillian

Thanks for the advice/info!

Do you have chicken in your backyard? This usually attracts mongooses; they go for the eggs and I suspect even for young chicks. I used to have large litters of "kikirikí" chicks in the backyard that would become smaller everyday (without trace). Besides the "guaraguaos" I suspected on mongooses too.

[Sandhillian]

No, no chickens!