Meerkat: Cute Little Animal from the Desert
A “kat” is not a “cat” when it’s a meerkat, a vital, clever, and amazing weasel-like animal that is a member of the mongoose family. The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa.
Physical Appearance
Meerkat characterized by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. It is slender and has a pointed little face, tiny ears, and black eye patches. Its body length is about 29 cm and the smooth, pointed tail is 19 cm long. Color varies from dark to grizzled light gray or tan, with broad dark bars across the back and a black-tipped tail.
Social Life of Meerkat
Most meerkats live in underground burrows in large groups of up to 40 individuals called a gang or a mob. For meerkats, there isn’t just safety in numbers—there’s also companionship. The mob is made up of several family groups. But meerkats don’t have to be related to belong to the same group. Meerkat mobs spend a lot of their time grooming and playing together to keep the family as a tight unit. This existence helps meerkats survive.
Do you know that Meerkat can stand up?
Meerkats will stand on their back legs for a few reasons. Meerkats will use the increased height to survey their surroundings, calling out to other group members if any predators are close by. They also use this position to get extra heat and to defend their territories from other groups of meerkats.
Do you know that meerkats mobs have been known to chase off many would-be predators much bigger than themselves?
Meerkats have been known to kill venomous snakes, but they don’t accomplish this task alone—they work as a mob. Some snakes feed on meerkats and slither into their underground tunnels, looking for a warm meal. Because of this, meerkats do not tolerate any snakes in their midst. They attack simultaneously and bite the snake wherever possible. It doesn’t take long for the snake to tire and become overwhelmed by the unrelenting gang.