The common dwarf mongoose has soft fur ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown.

With a body length of 16–23 cm (6.3–9.1 in) and a weight of 213–341 g (7.5–12.0 oz), it is Africa's smallest member of the order Carnivora.

[3] It is a highly social species that lives in extended family groups of two to thirty animals.

Dwarf mongooses are territorial, and each group uses an area of approximately 30-60 hectares (depending on the type of habitat).

They sleep at night in disused termite mounds, although they occasionally use piles of stones, hollow trees, etc.

Dwarf mongooses tend to breed during the wet season, between November and May, raising up to three litters.