SLENDER-TAILED MEERKAT

MeerkatMap



Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Herpestidae
Genus species: Suricata suricatta

DESCRIPTION

  • Slender body with short legs and a small head
  • The head and body are 10-12 inches long with an 8-10 inch black tipped tail
  • Weighs about 2 pounds
  • Snout is pointed and the fur is long and soft
  • Coloration is grayish-brown to whitish-gray on the upper side, with distinctive brown to black strips on the back and flanks
  • Feet have long claws adapted for digging

    HABITAT
  • Forests, open woodland, savanna and deserts in southern Africa including Namibia, Angola and South Africa
  • Burrow into the soil or in rocky areas

    DIET
  • Insects, spiders, scorpions, centipedes and millipedes, small mammals, birds and their eggs, lizards, snakes, snails, roots, tubers and fruit

    BEHAVIOR
  • Meerkats post a "sentry" while other members of a social group forage or play. The sentry stands on his hind legs surveying both ground and sky for predators, and sounds a warning cry if a threat is spotted.
  • They are active and agile terrestrial mammals that work, hunt and fight off predators together to ensure the survival of the group as well as each individual.
  • Meerkats are diurnal, feeding by day in the region around their burrow in small parties
  • Love to bask in the sun
  • Members of the mongoose family

    REPRODUCTION
  • Gestation period of 11 weeks
  • 2 to 4 in a litter
  • Young are born sparsely furred and blind, opening their eyes at two weeks
  • In the wild, their lifespan is approximately 10 years, while in captivity it is about 17 years.

    PREDATORS
  • Black-footed cat, serval, jackal and other carnivores