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SLENDER-TAILED MEERKAT
 
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
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