A mongoose with long black-and-white hairs, it usually has a white tail tip and often uses dry areas with wooded cover.
Its gray to gray-brown underfur is covered by long black-and-white guard hairs. The tail tip is usually white, although some individuals in West Africa have a black tip.
It mainly eats insects and also takes small mammals, birds, and lizards. Berries and fruit are eaten when in season.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.