Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) live in South Africa; predominately the Kalahari Desert where they’ve adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert sand. They instinctively dig their extravagant tunnel systems in the hard sand which makes their homes less inclined to collapse.
Their tunnels are complex structures, complete with sleeping chambers, various tunnels, and access holes which have mounds above ground at the end of them.
Life is hard in such an extreme habitat as the African desert, but because meerkats have a lower metabolic rate of about 40% than other members of the mongoose (Herpestes spp.) family, they can survive with much less food and water than most of their cousins.
Their fur is short and can be brownish-orange to orange or a silver color. They have various tan or gray markings on their backs. Like zebras or giraffes, the markings on the back of meerkats are unique unto the individual. Under the fur on their belly is dark skin that collects the sun’s heat to keep them warm in the winter. Even as a meerkat’s coat can be an insulator it also acts as a cooling system and keeps it from over-heating.
They have long, lean bodies, short legs, and a whip-like tail. The dark tip at the end of their tails serves as a flag letting enabling the other gang members to recognize each other as they forage for food. Each foot has four toes and their claws are non-retractable. These claws are extremely sharp and strong which is necessary for a lifetime of digging burrows.
Meerkats are capable of “closing” their ears to keep flying sand from entering the ear canal and they have excellent vision. Meerkats are capable of looking directly into the sun and still be able to spot a predator. The black fur that surrounds their eyes aid them in keeping the sun's glare to a minimum.
For all their good vision, meerkats are quite far-sighted while helping them keep an eye out for predators, it doesn’t do much for locating food that’s nearby. Dinner could be right under their nose and they’d miss it if it weren’t for their keen sense of smell.
Life of a Meerkat
Meerkats live in South Africa; predominately the Kalahari Desert where they’ve adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert sand. They instinctively dig their extravagant tunnel systems in the hard sand which makes their homes less inclined to collapse. Their tunnels are complex structures, complete with sleeping chambers, various tunnels, and access holes which have mounds above ground at the end of them.
Meerkats live in communities of up to 40 members and rely heavily on each other for survival against predators, foraging for food as well as raising young. This lifestyle is one of the major differences between meerkats and their cousins, the mongoose; who tend to lead primarily a solitary life. These highly sophisticated groups have been dubbed mobs or gangs. Meerkats are highly communicative and have extensive vocabularies. While the rest of the mob forage for food; one meerkat will act as a sentry on alert for predators.
Meerkat Stats
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Herpestidae
- Genus: Suricata
- Species: Suricata suricatta
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Length: 12” standing
- Lifespan: 10 yards in the wild/ 15 years on captivity
- Diet: Omnivorous – Meerkats eat insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and ant larve. Their diet also consists of birds and their eggs as well as small rodents, lizards, and fruit.
- Habits: Diurnal (active during daylight hours)
- Conservation Status: Not endangered
- Threats: These include birds of prey, wildcats, badgers, jackals, and harsh weather conditions.
Meerkat Reproduction
Typically, the only members within a meerkat mob that are supposed to breed are the alpha male and female. However, there are exceptions to the rule such as a wandering alpha female becoming breed by an assertive male. During the breeding season, the alpha female will drive away other female meerkats that are older than 10 months as they are capable of bearing pups.
The temporarily out-cast animals then follow just behind the gang and don’t rejoin their companions until the alpha female gives birth to her pups. It’s possible for meerkats to breed every two months; however they tend to breed successfully only every 2-3 times a year.
Ideally, only the alpha male breeds the alpha female and after a 70 day gestation, she gives birth to 5-6 pups. They are born in a sleeping or nursery chamber with closed eyes and little fur. For two weeks after the birth, the pups stay in the nursery chamber. Curiously, it isn’t only the mother who nurses the young, but rather any female that happens to be producing milk helps with the feedings.
At about 3 weeks old the pups become more adventurous and under the keen eye of a babysitter, they explore the rest of the burrow system and the outside world. The pups begin foraging for food at 6 weeks old and by 16 weeks will no longer be fed by an adult member of the mob. A mentor will be appointed to each individual pup teaching him how to find food and lead a meerkat’s life.
An interesting life-saving adaptation is that much like its cousin the mongoose's high-tolerance for cobra venom, the meerkat is immune to scorpion stings.
For more information on the mongoose, check out Mongoose Facts.
Chris McLaughlin - Chris McLaughlin's gardening books include "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables." Check out her complete profile.
