# Mongoose in Portugal !!



## Dennis

We were out for a drive the other day on our way to Penela when something the size of a cat jumped out of the hedgerow......It was grey and had a bushy tail and our dog went ballistic....I am pretty clued up on most things to do with nature but have never seen anything like this before.
When we got home done some research and apparently the Egyptian mongoose is not uncommon in Portugal.
I am not totally sure of what we saw, but i was wondering if anyone else has seen this creature?


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## Bebopalula

Dennis said:


> We were out for a drive the other day on our way to Penela when something the size of a cat jumped out of the hedgerow......It was grey and had a bushy tail and our dog went ballistic....I am pretty clued up on most things to do with nature but have never seen anything like this before.
> When we got home done some research and apparently the Egyptian mongoose is not uncommon in Portugal.
> I am not totally sure of what we saw, but i was wondering if anyone else has seen this creature?


Yes, we have seen several, but always dead at the side of the road having been run over. I seem to remember that someone in CP had problems with one eating their chickens? Or was it the eggs? Not much of an expert on mongooses.


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## Dennis

It`s not something i expected to see but since we have been here i have been amazed at some of the flora and fauna........the spring flowers in the hedgerows are a sight to see and the variety of the birdlife is wonderful, trouble is you can`t take your eyes of these dodgy roads for a minute lol.


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## deburto

Dennis said:


> It`s not something i expected to see but since we have been here i have been amazed at some of the flora and fauna........the spring flowers in the hedgerows are a sight to see and the variety of the birdlife is wonderful, trouble is you can`t take your eyes of these dodgy roads for a minute lol.


hi bob, jane and deizal,
I knew they were here ,but we have not seen one yet, have seen the odd snake, plenty of storks and eagles and lots and lots of sheep and goats lol


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## Dennis

Hi Debs
Nice to here from you the other day............this mongoose was a bit of a shock and Diezel thought it was a cat, you know what he`s like with cats!!
Storks i`m afraid are a bit thin on the ground up here, but plenty of snakes and buzzards and stuff.
All the best.


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## Bebopalula

Dennis said:


> It`s not something i expected to see but since we have been here i have been amazed at some of the flora and fauna........the spring flowers in the hedgerows are a sight to see and the variety of the birdlife is wonderful, trouble is you can`t take your eyes of these dodgy roads for a minute lol.


The flowers are amazing in the spring, we saw the 'Naked Man' orchid for the first time this year along the Sagres coast and it is a perfect (and complete!) little nude chappie. The baby storks are just popping out of their nests too, I love the way their parents stare at them adoringly, just like any proud parent.

You are right though, when driving I am too busy waiting for the next person to pull out in front of me/drive into my boot etc etc to notice anything else.


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## siobhanwf

A twitcher friend (birdwatcher...of the feathered variety) of ours counted 50 different species in the woods behind our house when he went for a walk this time last year. Including wild parrots!!


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## John999

siobhanwf said:


> A twitcher friend (birdwatcher...of the feathered variety) of ours counted 50 different species in the woods behind our house when he went for a walk this time last year. Including wild parrots!!


A mongoose is an animal with 4 legs, are you "flying" again???
:confused2:


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## Bebopalula

John999 said:


> A mongoose is an animal with 4 legs, are you "flying" again???
> :confused2:


Sorry John, I meandered off topic and I think that Siobhan was just following on from that on a similar 'flora and fauna' theme rather than just mongoose related. I imagine she does know what a mongoose is.


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## Dennis

Bebopalula said:


> Sorry John, I meandered off topic and I think that Siobhan was just following on from that on a similar 'flora and fauna' theme rather than just mongoose related. I imagine she does know what a mongoose is.


No please carry on..... this thread does not have to be Mongoose specific, I am interested in all forms of nature and what people are seeing in their neck of the woods.
The campsite we stayed on had french partridges running everywhere and the owners didn`t know they were there!
On the way over from UK my first encounter with a hoopoe was to run over it on the motorway..............Pi**ed me off no end, but seen plenty since


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## deburto

Dennis said:


> No please carry on..... this thread does not have to be Mongoose specific, I am interested in all forms of nature and what people are seeing in their neck of the woods.
> The campsite we stayed on had french partridges running everywhere and the owners didn`t know they were there!
> On the way over from UK my first encounter with a hoopoe was to run over it on the motorway..............Pi**ed me off no end, but seen plenty since


Hi Bob and co,
in the passed we have seen flamingo's down this way


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## Bebopalula

deburto said:


> Hi Bob and co,
> in the passed we have seen flamingo's down this way


Lovely! I have only seen flamingos in South of France and Spain. The rarest birds we have seen in Portugal were two great bustards flying over the plains, they looked like odd, fat ducks at first, not exactly pretty. There is a breeding programme at Castro Verde, which seems to be successful. 

Also rescued a big turtle recently, who was making his way slowly across a busy road! Billions of hectares out there and these critters make for the only major road for miles. So far we have managed to avoid bumping off anything, but only by doing ridiculously dangerous emergency stops, just to avoid killing a lizard or something. We know we should'nt, but it seems to be an immediate natural reaction. Not a good plan when there is usually a damn great Navarro up your exhaust pipe.


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## Dennis

Bebopalula said:


> Lovely! I have only seen flamingos in South of France and Spain. The rarest birds we have seen in Portugal were two great bustards flying over the plains, they looked like odd, fat ducks at first, not exactly pretty. There is a breeding programme at Castro Verde, which seems to be successful.
> 
> Also rescued a big turtle recently, who was making his way slowly across a busy road! Billions of hectares out there and these critters make for the only major road for miles. So far we have managed to avoid bumping off anything, but only by doing ridiculously dangerous emergency stops, just to avoid killing a lizard or something. We know we should'nt, but it seems to be an immediate natural reaction. Not a good plan when there is usually a damn great Navarro up your exhaust pipe.


Rotting about in the garden last night and saw one of these <HERE>
Lovely little thing and it stayed sock still while i looked at it.


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## Bebopalula

Dennis said:


> Rotting about in the garden last night and saw one of these <HERE>
> Lovely little thing and it stayed sock still while i looked at it.


I like Geckos, I don't see many of them, mainly the smaller lizards climbing up the terrace wall in the evening. Love their little feet. Apparently there are chameleons around, but I have never seen one myself.


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## Dennis

There is so much to see and i haven`t even mentioned the "nasties"......there is some kind of beetle flying around here at night that would take yer eye out if it hit you and it sounds like a helicopter!


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## Bebopalula

Dennis said:


> There is so much to see and i haven`t even mentioned the "nasties"......there is some kind of beetle flying around here at night that would take yer eye out if it hit you and it sounds like a helicopter!


I know the ones! Massive blue/black things. They are carpenter bees I think (nest in wood) and harmless. Now I know they are ok I have got quite fond of them. They terrify the dogs though.


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## Dennis

Not knowing what to expect,my wife screamed at something on the floor of the shower room only to find that it was the loop off my belt.....it had slipped off when i hung it on the hanger lol


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## deburto

Dennis said:


> Not knowing what to expect,my wife screamed at something on the floor of the shower room only to find that it was the loop off my belt.....it had slipped off when i hung it on the hanger lol


good old Jane lol , well we saw our first mongoose today, albeit dead in the road.
and the gekkos remind me of baby crocs, but are spossed to be good for eating the mozzies.
we have seen several times a strange looking beetle type thing, but it seems to have a very long body/tail, I have seen it before many times in france , whilst camping, but have never found out what it is?????????????


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## Dennis

deburto said:


> we have seen several times a strange looking beetle type thing, but it seems to have a very long body/tail, I have seen it before many times in france , whilst camping, but have never found out what it is?????????????


Probably best not to know!!


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## siobhanwf

You can identify some beetles at this site

Domestic Beetles look at the "churchyard beetle"


or could be a blaps lusitanica http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=2198126128&size=large


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## notlongnow

We were staying up near Tabua a few weeks back and they said they get a lot of mongoose (mongeese?!)

B


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## Bebopalula

quote=notlongnow;297614]We were staying up near Tabua a few weeks back and they said they get a lot of mongoose (mongeese?!)

B[/quote]

I wondered what the plural of Mongoose was myself, so I looked it up (bored, raining) Apparently it is 'mongooses' although 'mongeese' is acceptable!'


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## deburto

siobhanwf said:


> You can identify some beetles at this site
> 
> Domestic Beetles look at the "churchyard beetle"
> 
> 
> or could be a blaps lusitanica On Black: Escaravelho // Beetle (Blaps lusitanica) by Valter Jacinto | Portugal [Large]


thanks for the web pages , really interesting and I will keep them for future reference.
we saw this lovely lizard today, I think it is an Ocellated lizard I did manage to get some photo;s but for some reason it is no letting me upload them:confused2:


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## coati

Hi all

Richard here in Ourique.
I am a wildlife photographer and I am also very excited about my time in Portugal.
In the last 2 months have seen many things, particularly nice are the red kites and black winged kites.
heres a shot for you all


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## travelling-man

We live close to figueiro Dos Vinhos and sometimes see mongooses, wild boar and red deer around the house..... the wild boar even come right into the garden at night and clear up all my windfall fruit.

We also see lots, and I do mean lots of largish snakes. I ran a business in the African bush for 32 years and I saw more snakes last summer in Portugal than I've ever seen in any two years in Africa...... the good news is I'm told very few of them have really nasty bites. 

I have to say I'm not particularly impressed with the bird life I've seen in this area though..... but I plan to buy myself a few feeders and see what I can draw in.


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## coati

Hi TM

Also spent a few years in Africa 2 Kenya, 13 Ndola Zambia! Left in 1994.

Liking your snake comments I like em! Always happy to see Wild things
saw plenty in Africa, and some real bad ones!

Surprised your not seeing much birdlife though it can be hard to get close for pics


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## travelling-man

I guided safaris in 7 African countries over 32 years and was lucky enough to get a fair number of fairly good pics during that time..... mostly of the big stuff. 

Although I do sell a few images to books & magazines I don't go out of my way to do so. 

What really surprises me about the bird life is that we see so few wildfowl around....... I'd have expected to see no end of 'em as we're so close to the big lakes but we hardly see a one. 

I do however hear a few gamebirds about the place so it could be they're around but are staying tucked away...... if that's the case, I should be able to feed them in eventually. 

Time will tell though.


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## coati

I live across the road from Baragem Monte Da Rocha and saw a fair few Snow Geese 2 weeks ag0!
I have also spotted some wf on a small lake just out of town; I need to investigate.
Principle interest is raptors though. There are large numbers of Red Legged Partridge around the house; there are also a large number of active hunters! Tell you what I have done QDLago a few times and got poor viewing.
I am told by a neighbour that theuy have cool stuff in spring like Golden Orioles, Bonellis Eagle; also have to get to IPN Castro Verde to photo the Bustards. Seen several massive flocks of songbirds and waders, so many like black clouds!

more than 50 species birds on the 10 HA here already!

Actually watched a large Hare this morning!


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## travelling-man

I've been up and down to the Castelo Branco region a fair bit recently and that area is chokka with deer, wild boar, game birds and hares etc...... a real pleasure to see....... The wild boar are even sometimes active in the day so that shows you how relaxed and confident they are!


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## coati

Lovely!
Saw deer up at Lousa in May on the Serra
Also a few around here on the property.
Also Iberian Fox? I also forgot to add Mongoose seen on the Ourique to Garvao Road just out of town. I read these often associate with Lynx, which wud be cool, though I think I am right that they are all gone in Portugal. Seen otters at the baragem once


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## travelling-man

I've yet to see foxes or otters here but guess I will eventually.

I've got to say I love the Castelo Branco area because it reminds me so much of Africa and we may well do a bit of house hunting up there next year...... or at least, we will, if I can convince SWMBO that she'd be happy to move again. LOL.


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## coati

I like the Portalegre area which is not so far from CB
Stayed at Beseiros Do Cima in Mamede NP AND HAD A MARVELLOUS trip on the Tejo through the portas seeing many raptors and the Black Storks!
Will drive up there in the spring for sure


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## travelling-man

Sounds like a good trip.... I'll have to try to find time to do it.


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