Common Name: Meerkat
Scientific Name: Suricata suricata
Class: Mammals
Diet: Omnivore
Size: Without tail length in counted, an adult meerkat can grow up to 25cm - 35cm. Males can weight up to 0.73kg and the females grow up to 0.72kg.
Average Lifespan: 10 - 14 years
Origin: Southern Africa (Kalahari Desert in Botswana, Namib Desert in Namibia and South-western Angola)
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Physical Description
Meerkat have tail around 17cm - 25cm and it is not as bushy as other mongoose.
They have silver brown fur with irregular dark stripes at the rump.
A patch of their belly is only covered sparsely with their fur, showing their black skin underneath.
They have pointed snout, crescent ear, white face with black marking around their eyes.
They also have strong non-retractable claws and 5 toes, instead of 4.
Habitat
Dry and hot deserts, grasslands, scrubland and savannas.
Did You Know?
They play the character as 'Timon' in Disney movie <Lion King>.
Meerkat can have some immune to venom, therefore, poisonous scorpions and snake sometimes can be their food as well!
They are intelligent, they engaged in many social behaviours to solve their tasks. Other than getting help by their mob, they may also involve with their independent thinking.
They work together in group, even help to take care each other cubs.
The mothers will educate their child, in getting food, according to the cubs age and abilities. At first they will bring dead prey for the cubs, when they grow older, they will start to teach them to hunt for prey, starting from hunting the disabled ones, slowly to the healthy prey.
They do not need extra water in their diet as they can absorb from their food, therefore, they can survive in the desert where hard to get water source.
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