A sturdy mongoose that is not as elongated as other mongooses, the banded mongoose has coarse fur and dark bands across its back of a lighter red, grey or olive color. They can also have dark paws, snout and a dark tip on the tail.

They are active in the daytime but if it is hot then they will mostly concentrate their activity during the cooler mornings and evenings. During these times, they will go out digging and foraging for all kinds of things such as insects – termites, centipedes, spiders, scorpions, bird eggs, frogs, lizards, snakes and even small mammals. They will also eat some vegetable matter and fruit. They climb well and can swim also.

Unlike some more solitary mongooses the banded mongooses generally stick together in packs of 10-20 with one dominant male. They roam around the country side chattering with each other during the day. They are known to be rather clever and have been kept as pets.