Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. While warfare seems like a deeply human conflict, a tiny carnivore also makes its own strategic moves before battle. The warriors in question are common dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula), the smallest carnivore in Africa. They are native to parts of East to southern Central Africa, including Angola and Zambia and some provinces in South Africa. They live in communities of five to 30 individuals, and when different groups meet, potentially dangerous fights usually ensue.  According to a study recently published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, these mammals predict meeting rival groups and change how they communicate, move, and protect resources before it happens. The research demonstrates that these groups change their behavior in regions with the  greatest chance of rival fights, …