Meerkat

"The tail is used as a stick to stand upright properly."

Discover in real life
MeerkatSuricata suricatta

  • Habitat

    Southernmost part of Africa

  • Food

    insects, arachnids, centipedes and millipedes, reptiles, birds and leaves

  • Lifetime

    12 years

  • Weight

    725 grams

  • Length

    42 to 60 cm

  • Number of youngsters

    3

  • Wear time

    11 weeks

  • IUCN Status

    Safe

  • EEP

    No

  • 12

    years, that's how old a meerkat gets

  • 3

    boy gets one meerkat at a time

  • 725

    grams, that's how little a meerkat weighs

    • Sunglasses

    The dark fur around the eyes protects the skin from the sun. It also prevents them from reflecting sun in their eyes, allowing them to better observe their surroundings.

    Monitoring

    When the meerkats are searching for insects, one meerkat stands guard. In case of danger, a cry of alarm is raised and everyone dives back into their burrow. For each enemy, they have a different alarm call.

    Want to know more about IUCN status or the EEP? Click here.