The mongoose may look like a harmless little bundle of fur, but beware – this little guy is a snake killer. In fact, the mongoose has been called a snake’s worst enemy. The bravery of the mongoose in the face of a deadly snake is quite amazing. So, what’s the low down on this cute, yet vicious little creature, the mongoose?

There are more than forty different varieties of mongoose that roam over the plains and forests of Africa, Asia and Southern Europe. They vary in size from the dwarf mongoose, which is just over a foot long, to the crab eating mongoose of Southeast Asia which is about four feet long. The animal characteristically has a long bushy tail, short legs , a long body covered with thick, coarse hair and , small ears and a pointed nose.

Some varieties of mongoose are nocturnal while others emerge during daylight hours. The yellow mongoose can be seen in the daylight hours, living in communities of up to fifty individuals. They live in rocky crevices or holes in the ground. On occasion they will dig these themselves, but often they will simply move into burrows that have been vacated by other animals. The mongoose will feed on insects, beetles, worms, snails, lizards, frogs and crabs, as well as eggs and fruit. As well as preying on these small life forms, however, the mongoose is also renowned as a fighter of snakes. So, just how does this little creature take on the might of a venomous snake?

The mongoose is very fast. In a standoff with a snake, it will usually be able to move to avoid strikes from the snake. The mongoose will typically make a series of feints towards the snake, to finally dash in and seize the snake by the back of the neck. The animal’s sharp teeth will bite deeply to break the snake’s spine. Coupled with it’s speed and courage is the fact that the mongoose has a high tolerance to the venom of a snake. It takes about eight times the lethal dose of snake bite for a rabbit to kill a mongoose. More than a few mongoose have been felled, however, by feasting on the snake they have just killed. They have eaten the head of the snake and the fangs have punctured the wall of the stomach, allowing the poison to seep into the bloodstream.

The mongoose is more than a match for the cobra, but the viper is another story. For some reason the mongoose does not build up immunity to the viper’s venom. Additionally, the viper is much faster than the cobra in it’s ability to strike.

There are some species of mongoose, however, that have been domesticated and made into pets. The animal is rather intelligent and can quickly pick up tricks such as playing dead and playing with balls and other props.

The mongoose, then, is a clever little creature with a deadly ability to look after itself in the wild. Let us respect it for its power while admiring it for its lovable antics.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:   Do your helicopters come in kit form for me to build?

A:   Our “kits” are not presently offered as a kit for the consumer to purchase. We currently build all of the machines that are purchased at our facility in California to ensure that every machine meets our strict quality control standards.

Q:   What are the building fees that are associated with getting a kit?

A:   The labor fees are based on each individual request and which model is being built. The fees range anywhere from $200 for a basic build and $375 for a full build that is test flown with all components installed and tested.

Q:   Are the AirStar replacement parts compatible with Vario’s helicopters?

A:   Our AirStar replacement parts are 100% guaranteed to provide a more affordable and higher quality upgrade to the Vario parts for the Vario Benzin Trainer and Vario Acrobatic.

Q:   Do you have any mechanics that will for into a scale helicopter?

A:   Yes, our AirStar Evolution mechanics are a perfect fit into any Vario helicopter fuselage that calls for the Vario Benzin mechanics. Our mechanics will also fit some other kits with minor wood work.

Q:   Are your scale mechanics only belt-driven?

A:   No, we offer both a belt driven and torque tube driven mechanics set-up for scale applications. There is also no additional charge for you to choose which one you would like. We also allow the customer to choose what gear ratio they would like, also at no additional charge.

Q:   How much weight can the AirStar gas helicopters lift?

A:   Our gas helicopters can safely lift 15 lbs.

Q:   How long can the AirStar Camera Helicopters stay in the air?

A:   Our helicopters can remain in the air for around 25-30 minutes on one standard tank of fuel, but we can extend that flight time for up to 2 hours.

Q:   Is your AirStar Mongoose camera mount able to be easily removed from the helicopter is I want to fly the Mongoose as a trainer or for 3-D?

A:   The AirStar Mongoose custom camera mount system is fully self contained and can be removed and replaced with the standard landing gear (that does come included with each Mongoose camera helicopter at no additional charge) with only 4 screws in a matter of minutes.

Q:   Why should I go with AirStar International's Evolution or Mongoose over the Vario Benzin Trainer, Vario Acrobatic or Bergen Intrepid Gasser?

A:   The AirStar International Evolution and Mongoose provide you with features and a design that is far superior to our competitors. We provide our customers with their choice of color for their custom helicopter and the other companies provide you with what they want you to have. We also provide you a helicopter with the lowest parts count on the market, eliminating many parts that the competitors cannot eliminate, such as: servo bell cranks, extra servo linkages and a wood servo tray (Vario). We also provide the customer with a standard all metal rotor head on 12mm main rotor shaft set-up, which is an expensive upgrade from some competition. 

Q:   Why are there no upgrades for the AirStar helicopters? I find upgrades for Vario and Bergen, but not AirStar.

A:   AirStar does not really have any upgrades, other than colors, because we decided to provide the customer with the best parts from the very beginning and not make the customer spend extra money for “upgrades.”

Q:   Why should I choose the Airstar camera helicopter over others? Are there any significant differences between your design and those of Bergen or Vario?

A:   Our camera mount system is unlike any other system on the market and is completely revolutionary. We have been using this design in the motion picture industry since the 1990’s and this is the first time we are releasing this to the public. It is completely self-leveling through gentle turns, providing the end user with a constantly level picture, which is ideal for still shot photography and full motion videography and it is offered in a 2- or 3-axis camera mount system. The design integrates it’s own dampening system that is only found with our camera mount.