Meerkat

Meerkats are the world’s most famous mongooses.  These successful little carnivores are known for their habit of standing on their hind legs to look for danger and protect other members of the colony.  Within a Meerkat colony animals take turns as look out sentries to guard against hawks, eagles and other predators.  When a predator is sighted, the sentry give warning barks or growls and the other Meerkats dive for cover in their burrows.

Physical Description

Meerkats are small, thin predators.  They can reach 2 feet in length and 2 pounds in weight.  They have thin, yellowish-brown coats with pale stripes on their backs and very little fur on their bellies.  They have long front claws for digging, small rounded ears, long noses and dark fur around their eyes.

Family Life

Mother Meerkats give birth to 2 to 5 young in a nursery chamber within a borrow.  These young Meerkats totally depend on their mother.  Within 1 year they are full grown and are active members of the colony.  The colony can have up to 30 members.  Some of them will stay within the colony and others will form new colonies on their own.

Diet

Insects, spiders, small reptiles, roots and bulbs