Knowledge of the Liberian mongoose is still fairly limited. The first live specimen was not seen until 1989 (5), when a single adult male was captured and taken into captivity at Toronto Zoo (2). Unfortunately, subsequent field work has been prevented by civil war in Liberia (3).
The Liberian mongoose is known to be insectivorous, and has long claws, an elongated snout and small teeth, which are well adapted for feeding on insects (4). It uses its claws to dig for worms and other invertebrates underground, or in the heads of dead palm trees (2) (3).
Being a social species, the Liberian mongoose is often found in groups of four to six individuals, although groups may occasionally be larger (5). It shows social characteristics similar to those of other small mongoose species, including the kusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus) and the common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula), although it is most closely related to the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) (5).
While the exact duration of the breeding season is unknown, sightings of juveniles in July and August suggest that breeding occurs during the rainy season, from May onwards. This is likely to be a result of the more abundant food sources during this period (2).