Common Name: Meerkat Scientific Name: Suricata suricatta
LOWER RISK Meerkat Distribution: Kalahari Desert
Habitat: Desert Height: Approx. 30cm Weight: 600g - 900g Diet: Carnivorous
Meerkats have a course silvery brown coat, which displays a banding pattern towards the rear, dark eye rings and a dark slender tail. Strong hind legs allow the Meerkat to sit upright and scout for possible predators, whilst long front claws provide an ideal tool for digging for food and creating burrows. The Meerkat is found mainly in the Kalahari Desert and the scrub and savannah in the southern regions of Africa. Occupying grass lined burrows, Meerkats live within territories, which are fiercely defended, but if food becomes insufficient new territories are found. Meerkats use their long claws to dig for their prey, which usually consists of reptiles, insects, other small animals, roots and bulbs. They have also been known to eat poisonous scorpions! Meerkats are very active during the day, living in social groups varying in size from 5 to 30 members. Occupying a network of burrows it is mainly the alpha male and female that breed within the group, with the other members providing care for the offspring. The breeding season runs from October to April, with a gestation period of 11 weeks and a litter size of between 2 –5.