Cusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus)

What do I eat?

Cusimanse feed on a wide variety of invertebrates and vertebrates. Their prey includes snails, earthworms, spiders, grasshoppers, frogs, snakes, birds and small mammals. They will also eat fruits and berries.  They use their claws and snout to forage for prey on the forest floor, in rotting logs and in thick vegetation. 

Where do I live?

Cusimanse are found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. They mainly live in rainforest habitats, but will also inhabit savannahs, logged forests and plantations.

Breeding

The young of this species are born completely helpless with their eyes closed. Their head to body length is only 9 to 10 mm.  Their eyes open at about 12 days of age and they are weaned at about 3 weeks.

Predators

Cusimanse have a range of predators including large carnivores, and raptors such as the crowned hawk eagle.

Conservation

This species does not currently face any major threats and are fairly common. They are found in a variety of habitats including a number of protected areas.