A Meerkat is a small mammal that lives in the Kalahari Desert in Africa.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Herpestidae
Genus: Suricata
Species: Suricatta
Despite their name, they are not actually a kind of cat. They are part of the mongoose family. You may recognize a Meerkat from the TV show Meerkat Manor or as Timon from The Lion King. Meerkats are very social animals, and they live in groups, called clans, gangs or mobs of between 20 and 50. Living in such a large group has its advantages because while the rest of the clan is eating or grooming, a few Meerkats will act as lookouts. When they see predators, they let out a barking noise to warn the rest of the clan.
Meerkats play an important role in the desert. They help to keep insect and rodent populations under control. Without them snacking on bugs, the desert would be overrun with pests that would destroy the environment and drive many desert species into extinction. Meerkats are also a very important food source for animals such as eagles and jackals. Without meerkats, the Kalahari Desert would not be the incredibly diverse and lively environment it is today.
Here are some facts about Meerkats:
- Meerkats are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and animals.
- Some of their favorites are fruit, insects and lizards.
- They live underground in huge systems of tunnels that they dig called burrows.
- These burrows provide shelter during the night and protections from predators during the day.
- They use their long tail to balance.
- They have tan and brown colored backs with stripes and white bellies
- Each clan is lead by a dominant pair called the alpha pair, and they are the only couple to have pups.
- The whole clan helps to take care of pups by babysitting and feeding them.
- They stand a foot tall.
