Common Name: Meerkat
Other Name: Suricate
Scientific Name: Suricata suricatta
Family: Herpestidae (mongoose family)
Origin/Range: Southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Angola)
Habitat: Open, arid regions—savannas, deserts (especially the Kalahari), and scrublands
Size: 25–35 cm (10–14 in) long, plus 17–25 cm (7–10 in) tail
Weight: 0.6–1.0 kg (1.3–2.2 lbs)
Body: Slender, elongated with short legs
Tail: Long, thin, used for balance (often held upright like a flag)
Head: Pointed snout, dark eye patches (reduce glare from the sun)
Ears: Small and rounded, can close to keep dirt out when digging
Fur: Short, sandy brown or gray with darker bands/stripes on the back
Lifespan: 6–8 years in the wild; up to 12–14 years in captivity
Social Structure: Extremely social; live in colonies called mobs or gangs of 10–30 (sometimes up to 50)
Hierarchy: Dominant breeding pair leads the group; others assist in raising pups
Sentinel Behavior: Famous for standing upright on hind legs to keep watch for predators; individuals take turns acting as guards
Activity: Diurnal (active during the day); spend nights in burrow systems
Communication: Use a variety of vocalizations—chirps, growls, alarm calls to warn of predators
Type: Omnivorous, but mostly insectivorous
Main Foods: Insects, scorpions, spiders, centipedes, beetles, termites
Other Foods: Lizards, snakes, small mammals, eggs, fruit, roots, tubers
Special Ability: Immune to certain venom, allowing them to eat scorpions and venomous snakes
Breeding: Usually dominated by the alpha pair
Gestation Period: ~11 weeks (77 days)
Litter Size: 2–5 pups, several times a year
Parental Care: Entire mob helps raise the young (babysitting, feeding, protecting)
Weaning: Around 9 weeks old
Predators: Birds of prey (eagles, hawks), jackals, snakes
Defenses: Alarm calls, mobbing predators, retreating to burrows
Conservation Status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
Threats: Habitat loss, predation, climate change—but populations remain stable
