Scientific Name: Suricata suricata

Range: South African Savannah

Habitat: we come South Africa and can be found in the Kalahari Desert. Having successfully adapted to living in very harsh conditions and climate, with little water, limited food and many predators, some of our special adaptations include very strong forearms designed to help them quickly build their burrows. Meerkats can dig their own weight in sand in only a matter of seconds, which is important when their dinner is on the hop. They have ears that can close in the event of a sand storm and they also have built-in sunglasses with the dark patches around their eyes helping to lessen the glare of the desert sands and scorching sun.

Diet in the wild: known as ‘scavengers of the desert’ meerkats eat a wide variety of foods including – insects, poisonous scorpions, grubs, geckos, small rodents, snakes and various roots and fruits.

Diet in the zoo: crickets, mealworms, cockroaches, variety of fruits, chicken, grubs, small rodents and eggs.

Who am I?: meerkats are small mammals who are most closely related to mongooses. They are colonial animals so they are very social within their own group. Behaviours that make this evident are that they will share food, groom, snuggle and lick each other often, as well as before settling down to sleep in a large pile similar to canine puppies. They live in family groups called “mobs” or “gangs” and are fiercely territorial when defending their homes from other “gangs”. When looking for food each member takes turns at guard duty by pausing briefly to stand above the rest scanning the skies for predators. Their constant peeping lets the group know that the skies are clear and safe.

Mating and Maturation: capable of breeding around 12 months it is usual for a particular male and female to take on the responsibility for breeding for the group.  After a gestation period of 11 weeks a litter of 3-5 kits (baby meerkat) is born. They are born without hair, helpless and blind. Kits can mature to a point of being weaned within one month. Fully grown at 6 months of age meerkats have a general life expectancy of around 10 years however life expectancy in captivity is much greater due to the care and specialised attention these animals receive.