The Meerkat
Western Cape Safari Guide: Meerkat
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Herpestidae
Genus and Species: Suricata suricatta
Meerkat
The meerkat (Suricata suricatta), also known as the suricate, is one of Africa’s most iconic small mammals. Belonging to the mongoose family, meerkats are renowned for their upright stance, social nature, and endearing curiosity. These intelligent creatures thrive in the semi-arid regions of southern Africa, including the Kalahari Desert, Namaqualand, and parts of the Karoo.
Meerkats live in large, close-knit family groups known as mobs or gangs, working together to forage, raise young, and defend their territory from predators. Their cooperative lifestyle is one of the most sophisticated examples of social behaviour among small carnivores.
Appearance
Meerkats are small, slender mongooses with a pointed face, dark eye patches, and a long, tapering tail that acts as a counterbalance when standing upright. Their sandy-brown fur helps them blend into the desert and Karoo landscapes, while dark bands across the back add to their distinctive look.
They have sharp, curved claws designed for digging burrows and uncovering insects underground. Their large eyes give them an excellent field of vision, while a transparent membrane protects them from dust during digging.
Meerkats take turns acting as sentries, standing upright on their hind legs to scan the horizon for danger while the rest of the group forages.
Size
Body length: 25–35 cm (10–14 in)
Tail length: 17–25 cm (6.7–9.8 in)
Weight: 0.6–1 kg (1.3–2.2 lbs)
Although small, meerkats are agile, fast, and surprisingly tough. Their slender bodies and long limbs allow them to move swiftly through sandy or rocky terrain.
Diet and Hunting
Meerkats are omnivorous foragers. Their diet includes insects, scorpions, spiders, small reptiles, birds’ eggs, and roots. They have evolved a resistance to certain venoms, allowing them to safely consume scorpions and some venomous species of snake.
Foraging is a cooperative activity – while most individuals dig and feed, at least one sentry meerkat stands on guard, scanning for predators and sounding an alarm if danger approaches.
Location and Habitat
Meerkats are found across southern Africa, particularly in the Kalahari Desert, Namibia, Botswana, and the arid regions of the Western and Northern Cape. They thrive in open, dry habitats such as savannas and scrublands, where sandy soil makes burrowing easy.
They live in extensive underground tunnel systems that provide shelter from predators and extreme temperatures. Burrow systems can have multiple entrances and chambers, and may be shared with other animals such as ground squirrels.
Behaviour
Meerkats are highly social and diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. A typical mob can include 10–30 individuals, led by a dominant pair. Cooperation is essential – individuals take turns standing guard, babysitting pups, and teaching young meerkats how to hunt and recognise alarm calls.
At dawn, meerkats often emerge to sun themselves near their burrow entrances before setting off to forage. Their complex vocal communication system allows them to coordinate movements and warn of threats from predators such as eagles, jackals, and snakes.
Challenges and Threats
Meerkats face natural threats from raptors, snakes, and larger carnivores such as jackals. Their sentry system helps minimise predation, but habitat loss from agriculture and urban expansion poses a growing risk.
In some regions, meerkats are also threatened by human interference and disease outbreaks that can sweep through closely related colonies.
Territory
Meerkat groups occupy territories that can range from 2 to 5 square kilometres (0.8–2 sq mi), which they mark with scent and defend against rival mobs. Each group maintains multiple burrow systems within their home range, allowing them to relocate quickly if threatened.
Breeding
Breeding occurs throughout the year, though peaks are often tied to rainfall and food availability. After a gestation of about 11 weeks, females give birth to 2–5 pups in the safety of an underground burrow.
The entire group helps raise the young – non-breeding adults babysit, feed, and protect the pups. This cooperative care ensures high survival rates and strengthens group bonds.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About Meerkats
Meerkats use a range of sounds, including chirps, growls, purrs, and alarm calls. Each call conveys different messages, from warnings to friendly communication.
Meerkats can run at speeds of up to 32 km/h (20 mph) to escape predators. Their agility helps them dodge predators and move quickly between burrows when threatened.
Meerkats face threats from birds of prey (such as eagles and hawks), snakes, and jackals. Their cooperative behaviour and alarm-call system are vital defences – one meerkat acts as a sentry while others forage, warning the group with a distinctive call if danger approaches.
In the wild, meerkats typically live 6 to 10 years, though some individuals in captivity can reach 12 to 15 years. Survival in the wild depends heavily on group cooperation, predator avoidance, and environmental conditions.
Baby meerkats are called pups.
They’re born underground in the safety of the burrow, usually in litters of three to seven. For the first few weeks, meerkat pups remain hidden below ground while the adults take turns guarding and feeding them.
Meerkats are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. They typically emerge at sunrise to sunbathe and warm up, then spend most of the day foraging and maintaining their burrows. At night, they retreat underground to rest and stay safe from nocturnal predators.
No, meerkats are not dangerous to humans. They are small, non-aggressive animals that prefer to flee rather than fight. However, like most wild animals, they can bite or scratch if cornered or handled.
Within their groups, meerkats can be quite feisty, using their sharp claws and teeth to defend their territory or young against rival mobs.
Not really. Meerkats are poor swimmers and generally avoid water. Their arid habitats rarely include deep bodies of water, and their anatomy is better suited to digging and running than swimming. If necessary, they can paddle short distances, but it is uncommon behaviour in the wild.
Yes. Meerkats are skilled snake hunters, capable of killing small or juvenile snakes. They have evolved a degree of resistance to venom, allowing them to tackle dangerous prey such as cobras or puff adders. However, they usually rely on their speed, teamwork, and agility rather than direct combat.
Yes. Meerkats are omnivorous foragers, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter. Their diet mainly consists of insects, grubs, scorpions, small reptiles, eggs, and roots. Their sharp claws and strong forelimbs help them dig for food beneath the surface of the desert or scrubland.
Meerkats eat a variety of foods, from insects and scorpions to small lizards, eggs, and roots. They have an excellent sense of smell for locating prey beneath the surface. Interestingly, they can eat venomous scorpions after removing the stinger – a learned behaviour passed down through generations.
Meerkats live in burrow systems across dry, open landscapes such as the Kalahari Desert, Karoo, and Namib regions. Their burrows are extensive underground tunnels that protect them from predators and the intense midday heat. Each burrow can have multiple entrances and chambers used for sleeping, rearing young, and escaping danger.
Meerkats are native to southern Africa, found mainly in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and parts of Angola. They thrive in semi-desert and savanna ecosystems, particularly in areas with loose, sandy soil for easy digging.
Yes, meerkats belong to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). They share many traits with other mongooses, such as agility, sharp claws, and resistance to certain snake venoms. What sets them apart is their complex social structure, as most other mongoose species are solitary or live in small family groups.
Meerkats stand upright on their hind legs to survey their surroundings for predators such as eagles or jackals. This posture, often seen at burrow entrances, gives them a better vantage point. Standing also helps them absorb warmth from the sun in the cool mornings, as their dark bellies act like solar panels.
A group of meerkats is called a mob, gang, or clan. These family units can include up to 30 individuals, led by a dominant pair. Members cooperate in raising pups, foraging, and keeping watch for predators – a remarkable example of teamwork in the animal kingdom.