The young mongoose evolves so that it can conceal its identity to others in the band which it is closely related to. Infanticide is common among mongoose and the nearer of kin proved to be the more dangerous so pups are not too trusting. In such harsh social situation, the young mongoose will make himself near a nanny as much as possible to avoid ending up dead.
According to a University of Exeter research, mongooses operate in a band where there is an appointed adult that looks after the pups of others. Further, the study suggests that the nanny is oftentimes with the best mental state to look after the youngling. Adults and biological parents often kill their young mongoose so these pups "learned" how to conceal themselves in the nursery.
According to Dr. Emma Vitikainen of the Exeter Cornwall Campus, mongoose mothers synchronize their birth to give birth at the same day. This gave the pups an ample opportunity to conceal themselves among the newborns. In fact, the disguise is so effective that biological parents soon lost their chance of pinpointing their own pups from the band, according to Phys.Org.
The nannies, on the other hand, pick a young mongoose at random. There is a chance that the mother may get his own pup but it is up to the young mongoose to use stealth. In the end, the mongoose nursery is more like a raffle draw of which pup may end up with whom.
Another interesting data in the research is the tendency of nannies to pick up young mongoose with the same gender. Female mongoose often picks female pups, vice versa. Further, it appears that male mongooses are the best nannies since female counterparts tend to neglect after giving birth, the Mail Online said.
Meanwhile, another research done by Professor Michael Cant suggests that although mongooses are known for banding together, there is a tendency of "racism." The band leader and his kin will often bully and cast away non-kin. This is because the mongoose considers non-kin as rivals in mating.
