Meerkat
Meerkat Informaton
What they look like
Meerkats are members of the mongoose family. They have a long thin tail that allows them to balance when standing upright and have black patches that surround their eyes. When meerkats dig they can close their ears in order to stop dirt entering their ear cavities.
Animal facts
They forage in groups, taking turns to stand on their hind legs to watch for predators. At times of danger, the lookout gives a shrill alarm call and the group scurries for shelter. Despite their cute appearance, meerkat mobs are territorial and have a strict hierarchal infrastructure in which social positions can impact on an individual’s lifespan.
What they eat
Insects, small mammals, grubs, snakes, eggs
Habitat
Desert and dry open plains in networks of underground burrows and crevices
Where they live
Southern Africa
Threats
Hunted by eagles, servals and jackals. Sometimes culled because they can carry rabies.
Population
Classification
Order: Carnivora
Family: Herpestidae
Species: Suricata suricatta
Information provided by:
https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits
Photographs provided by: Cyril Brass
