Cusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus)
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You can find our cusimanse in our Life Among the Trees exhibit.
Fast facts
Status Least Concern
Size Head-body 30-37 cm; tail 15-21 cm
Weight 0.45-1 kg
Gestation 58 days
Young 2-4
Life span 9 years
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.
Did you know?
Cusimanse live in groups of up to 20. They stay in contact with each other by using a variety of contact calls.
Cusimanse sleep in a range of places such as burrows, under logs or in dense vegetation.
Animal Experiencesjunior keeper experience
On 8th Aug my 8yr old daughter took part in a junior keeper experience as a birthday present and was smiling from beginning to end. They made her feel very welcome, answered all of her questions and made her feel very special. The experiences were amazing, the animals she encountered and… Read full reviewsam, 10th August 2015