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.