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Meerkats
Meerkats or suricates comprise 35 species, widespread across Africa and the East. There are two subfamilies: Galidiinae (from Madagascar) and Herpestinae (Africa and Asia).
They occupy habitat varying from forest to savannah and desert.
Meerkats have long, coarse coats ranging from dark to tones of red or yellow. Some species also have bands or stripes.
The diet of a meerkat is varied and includes birds’ eggs, crabs, fish and, on occasion, fruit and vegetable matter. Watch what these meerkats do when they find an egg in the clip Eggs stirs meerkats’ curiosity. Certain species are known for their expert ability in killing (and eating) venomous snakes. See what they do about a scorpion in Meal with a sting.
The gestation period of meerkats is generally about two months, but can be shorter or longer, depending on the species. These small mammals live for about 10 years. A baby meerkat is called a pup. Meerkats can produce several litters a year, usually of three or so young at a time. See what the pups look like in the clip Meerkat babies emerge, filmed in South Africa’s Little Karoo region.
social behaviour
Meerkats are highly sociable animals and various members of a family group act as ‘babysitters’ to the pups, while the other members go out foraging for food during the day. We have footage of some male ‘nannies’ in the clip Meerkat baby-sitters take charge.
The important activity of grooming brings the meerkats into a close huddle as they clamber over each other, scratching and biting to remove pests from each other’s furry coats. Watch them doing this in the clip Meerkats groom at sunset.
If you look at a group or band of meerkats as a single living organism, you see the constant balancing of power and position – a self-regulating mechanism which expresses the collective instinct of these remarkable little creatures. See this for yourself in these Earth-Touch clips:
Meerkats are comical little creatures as they come scuttling home from their day out in the chilly winterveld of the Little Karoo and dive down into their snug sleeping burrow. See how they bunch together to keep warm in the clip Meerkats huddle in the cold. With their large, bright eyes and inquisitive behaviour, they make fascinating and amusing film subjects.
