The white-tailed mongoose is the largest mongoose. It is also one of the longer-legged mongooses, looking almost like a fox or a cat in stance and stature. This mongoose is found in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, in areas of thick cover in semi-desert, scrub, grassland, and savanna habitats. It eats mostly insects, but also small vertebrates such as rodents, birds, lizards, and snakes. They crack open eggs by throwing them backwards between their hind legs into rocks. White-tailed mongooses are nocturnal and solitary except for females with their offspring.