Classification
Distribution
Physical
Characteristics Diet
Reproduction Behavior
Habitat Conservation Links
CLASSIFICATION:
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS:
Mammalia
ORDER: Carnivora
FAMILY: Viverridae
GENUS: Suricata
SPECIES: suricatta
The meerkat is found in Southern Africa, primarily the Kalahari Desert.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Also called the “Solar Panel Of The Animal World”, the meerkat has
a dark-skinned, sparsely furred belly which it uses to absorb light so that it may warm
its body. Their coat is yellowish-tan with a sparse coating of white fur on their
underside. They have a pointed face with small crescent-shaped ears, they can fold their
ears to close them when they are digging a new burrow. Their dark black eye markings
act as built-in sunglasses to protect their vision from the intense glare of the sunlight.
The meerkat’s tail has a black tip and is usually the same color of the stripes
running down the meerkat’s back. These stripes located on the meerkat’s
back usually number from eight to ten.
They have four toes on each foot and their black claws are non-retractable. The meerkat’s black ears are closeable and are located on the side of their heads for better hearing. Meerkats eyes are on the front of their face and like felines, they have a large peripheral range, binocular vision, and depth perception.
An adult meerkat averages 12 inches (30 cm) in height and weighs 720-730 gm (1.6 Ib). Their tail is roughly 8 inches (22 cm) in length and is used like a tripod to aid in balancing the meerkat when it is in an upright position. This upright position is common for the meerkat, usually being used to survey or guard its surroundings.
The meerkat has strong forelegs for digging. A meerkat can dig up about as much dirt as they weigh in just a few short seconds. They also have muscular hind legs which aid them in climbing trees.
DIET:
The meerkat diet consists of a variety of insects to include scorpions (they
are immune to its venom), beetles, centipedes, worms, crickets, spiders, millipedes, as
well as small mammals and reptiles, birds, eggs, tubers and roots.
REPRODUCTION:
Mating in the gang is reserved for the alpha female and alpha male. They can breed
every two months but tend to successfully breed two to three times a year. When a dominate
female is ready to breed she will chase away all other females who can bear children,
which is normally females 10 months and older. The temporary outcast will follow the gang
until the alpha female has had her pups and regains her strength. The trailing females
often get impregnated from males from other gang they encounter. Often they will abort
these births. If they do give birth they will attempt to sneak them in with the pups of
the alpha female. If the alpha notices she will kill and eat the other females babies. If
the alpha females babies die nobody gets to eat them. When the other females come back to
the gang they help raise the new pups. the females who can give milk will take turns doing
so.
The gestational period is 70 days resulting in a litter of usually five to six pups. The
pregnant female will increase in body weight by 40%. The babies are born with sparse fur
and closed eyes. For the first two weeks they stay in the sleeping chamber and drink from
their mothers milk or other milk producing females milk. The third week they will venture
outside and stay around the burrow system with a babysitter. During this time when the
alpha is not feeding the young babysitters will watch the pups while the alpha female goes
out to feed. She will do less sentry duty at this time as well. From weeks 4 to 6 the pups
will forage with their elders getting nourishment from both milk and solid food. At 6 to
16 weeks they will find their own food as well as be supplemented by elders, but they will
no longer get milk. After 16 weeks they are on their own for food. Each pup will be taken
on by an adult mentor,
who will take responsibility to teach the pup the necessary sills for
foraging as well as how to respond to danger. Male meerkats tend to mentor male pups and
females tend to mentor females.
When the meerkat reaches 10 months old it is sexually mature at 11 months it has reached
adulthood. At 10 months the meerkat can go out and look for breeding opportunities. They
may also leave to join new gangs or form new ones. They may also stay with their
original gang for up to 3 years before venturing out.
BEHAVIOR:
A member of the mongoose family, the meerkat is a diurnal species, being
active during the day.
Because meerkats are a primary prey source for martial eagles and jackals, as well as snakes and even other gangs of meerkats, they will always have at least one meerkat who stands as sentry or guard while the others forage or nap. To alert others to different predators in the area, meerkats have various vocal alarm calls which the sentry will use.
Meerkats have a common latrine that is used by all the members of the gang.
A group of meerkats will live together and usually consists of five to thirty members. This group, known as a gangs, is also called a mob or a colony. Meerkats are a very territorial species and will actively defend their home from other meerkat gangs. These gangs will also move several times annually if their food supply is depleted in their territory.
HABITAT:
Meerkats inhabit grass-lined burrows that are shared with other small mammals
such as ground squirrels and yellow mongoose.
Although not endangered, the meerkat is considered a flagship species due to its public popularity.
For more information, contact Small carnivore TAG education liaison
Page created by Tonya C. Dahl, Spring 2000 and
Stephanie Kutzer, Fall 2002
Pensacola Junior College ZooTech Students