'/> Amazing Animals: The Watchful Meerkats – Now You See, Now You Don’t

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Watchful Meerkats – Now You See, Now You Don’t

Interesting facts about Meerkat!

Meerkats are such fascinating and a joy-to-watch animals. Here is a list of some interesting facts about the desert “comedians”.

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Meerkats (Suricata suricatta), also known as suricates, are small, diurnal, burrowing mammals widespread on the plains of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. On average, they weigh about 731 grams (males) and 720 grams (females). Meerkat is about 25 to 35 cm long with a 17 to 25 cm tail.

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Meerkats are furry animals with sharp claws use in digging burrows and catching prey. They have long tails which are used for balancing. The eyes have black patches, brown nose, and small closable ears. Typically, meerkats live in a group called “clan”. “gang” or “mob”. A clan may consist of about 20 individuals, but there are “big families” that have more than 50 members. In the wild, markets can live up to 14 years.



Meerkats live in underground burrows that may contain about 70 different entrances. Aside from the entrance holes, meerkats home has several tunnels and sleeping chambers. Since, these animals are territorial, a territory can be between one to three square miles. Meerkats protect their occupied space against other gangs. Each territory can have from 6 to 15 dens depending on the clan’s size.



Meerkats hunt for food in a group with one member serving as guard watching for predators, while the rest of the group search for food. Each “guarding duty” may last for about an hour. They have eyes on the front of their faces which give them an excellent binocular vision. Also, they have depth perception, and wide peripheral range. The “guard” makes a beeping sound, when the surrounding is safe from predators, but whistles if he sees danger approaching. Its diet includes insects, insect larvae, plants and in some occasions other small animals (like lizards and mice).



Meerkats are social animals; they love playing, wrestling and grooming one another. A typical clan includes:

* Alpha male – the largest in the group who owns the breeding rights to the alpha female.
* Alpha female – Dominant female of the clan. The one suppose to breed in the gang.
* Beta male – about 10 months or older who must obey the Alpha male. After 3 years, they may leave the group to form another clan.
* Beta female – serves the alpha female but will be temporarily evicted when the alpha female gets pregnant. Also, they will leave the clan after 3 years in search of better breeding opportunities.
* Pups – babies about 10 months or younger.
* Babysitter – has the obligation to watch over the pups while the gang is out hunting for meals. This duty is for members in the clan about 6 months or older.
* Sentry – Stand on the ground, or climbing a tree to watch over the clan.
* Excavators - members left behind task to clean and renovate burrow systems. mentoring -
* Tutors – an elder member task to teach and train baby meerkats.

16 comments:

  1. They're so adorable and sociable! But they're extremely territorial and I love how they interact with the cameraman! :D

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  2. They seem to like cameras. Ha-Ha. They’re cute.

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  3. They are definitely one group of animals that are adorable photo subjects...how they stand, the way their eyes look so like that...just cute!

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  4. Seems like the meerkats are the perfect examples of good and dutiful family members.

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  5. wow love the video! its nice that they are sociable! im not sure if 'i've seen them in singapore zoo or if its just astatue of them hehe

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  6. I love watching them on NGC, they are very smart!

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  7. Its one of my favourite vista in the zoo. They're so playful and cute.

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  8. they look adorable and it's incredible they don't attack those cameramen.. Love seeing them go up camerman's head

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  9. I've seen meerkats in action. They are really cute.

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  10. This is very interesting and the video is fascinating, we went to the zoo one time and wish to see this creature unfortunately i don't see them and it's true that they are rare to be seen.

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  11. They're cute, Papz. It's nice to know that these animals are relatively tame.

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  12. Awww! Meerkats are such cuties Papaleng :-) I learned more about them from watching Animal Channel :-)

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  13. I think they're adorable and I really love playing with cute animals especially a domesticated one. But I've never seen a meerkats before.

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  14. Hahahahha! I like the playfulness of meerkat with the cameraman!

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  15. The meerkats remind me of the movie Life of Pi. It was such a touching movie, great cinematography.

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  16. I once thought meerkats are not real. Hahaha.

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