The ruddy mongoose is found in India and is marked by a dark, reddish coat and a black tail tip. It favors forests and is most active around dawn and dusk.
Its body is dark with fine black-and-gray-white speckling and a reddish cast along the upper fur. The tail tip is black; the forelegs are reddish brown and the hind legs a brighter red.
It favors secluded forest areas, though it has also been recorded in paddy fields and open fields. It hunts by day and night but is especially active at dawn and dusk.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.