Overview of the Meerkat

The meerkat or suricate is a small mammal native to Africa. The meerkat is a member of the mongoose family. They live in clans, usually containing about 20 meerkats (although large families of over 50 have been reported). According to African popular belief, the meerkat is a sun angel, and protects the villages from werewolves.

Meerkats primarily eat insects, but will also eat birds, eggs, lizards, plants, scorpions, small mammals, and snakes. They are partially immune to certain venoms, like the venom of scorpions in the Kalahari Desert.

Meerkats forage in groups, and they have no excess body fat stores, so they must forage daily for food. They post a guard, or sentry, to keep watch while the others forage. Guard duty is usually about an hour long.

Meerkats become sexually mature at the age of one years old. They can have between one and five pups in a litter, with as many as four litters per year. The pups are allowed to leave the borrow at 3 weeks old. Meerkats are iteroparous, which means they can reproduce at any time of the year.

About the Author
Jacob Maddox manages content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com an educational wildlife and animal website. Jacob also guest writes for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net