Dan,
 
I enjoyed your story about the mongooses/mongeese in Hawaii, but I keep
seeing people referring to mongooses and weasels as if they are closely
related.  Mongeese and ferrets are both carnivores, but they are in
different families (cats, dogs, hyaenas, racoons, and bears are all
carnivores also, but are in different families).  Ferrets are mustelids and
mongooses are viverrids.  Viverrids are considered "primitive" carnivores.
They are facinating animals and include meerkats (I think one of the
characters in the movie The Lion King was supposed to be a meerkat), civets,
genets, and binturong.  Both mustelids and viverrids have strong smelling
secretions from anal glands that are expressed when they are upset.
 
Elayne
[Posted in FML issue 1434]