Meerkat

Meerkat facts at a glance

How big is a meerkat?

An adult meerkat measures 35 cm long — about 20% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 800 g, about 1% of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of meerkats called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Teamwork and sentinels

Meerkats live in cooperative groups of up to 30 or more. While most of the mob forages, one or more take turns standing guard on raised ground or a bush, scanning the sky and horizon for predators. The sentinel gives different alarm calls for different threats, telling the group whether danger comes from the air or the ground.

Raising young together

Meerkats are cooperative breeders. A dominant pair produces most of the pups, and other members of the group help by babysitting, feeding, and teaching the youngsters, including how to handle dangerous prey such as scorpions. This shared care gives pups a strong chance of survival in a harsh environment.

Built for the desert

Dark patches around the eyes cut glare from the bright desert sun, like built-in sunglasses, and long claws make meerkats expert diggers of the extensive burrow systems where they shelter from heat and predators. They are partly immune to the venom of some scorpions and snakes they hunt.

Behavior and range

Found across the Kalahari and other dry regions of southern Africa, meerkats are active by day and retreat underground at night and during the hottest hours. Their tight social bonds, sunbathing huddles, and upright watch posture have made them one of the most recognizable and popular small animals.

Did you know? Meerkat facts

• The meerkat is a small, highly social mongoose native to the deserts and dry plains of southern Africa, famous for standing upright on its hind legs to watch for danger.
• Meerkats stand upright to act as sentinels, getting a better view to watch for predators such as eagles and jackals. They also stand to warm up in the morning sun.
• Meerkats are mainly insectivores, feeding on beetles, larvae, and especially scorpions, to which they have some venom resistance. They also eat spiders, small reptiles, eggs, and roots.
• Yes. Meerkats are highly social and live in cooperative groups called mobs or gangs of up to 30 or more, sharing lookout duty and raising pups together.
• Meerkats have partial resistance to the venom of some scorpions and snakes they hunt, which lets them tackle prey that would harm many other animals, though they are not fully immune.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Meerkat feeds primarily as a insectivore (mostly). Meerkats live in cooperative groups of up to 30 or more. While most of the mob forages, one or more take turns standing guard on raised ground or a bush, scanning the sky and horizon for predators. The sentinel gives different alarm calls for different threats, telling

Adaptations

• Meerkats live in cooperative groups of up to 30 or more. While most of the mob forages, one or more take turns standing guard on raised ground or a bush, scanning the sky and horizon for predators. The sentinel gives different alarm calls for different threats, telling the group whether danger comes from the air or the ground.
• Meerkats are cooperative breeders. A dominant pair produces most of the pups, and other members of the group help by babysitting, feeding, and teaching the youngsters, including how to handle dangerous prey such as scorpions. This shared care gives pups a strong chance of survival in a harsh environment.

Behaviour & ecology

• Meerkats live in cooperative groups of up to 30 or more. While most of the mob forages, one or more take turns standing guard on raised ground or a bush, scanning the sky and horizon for predators. The sentinel gives different alarm calls for different threats, telling the group whether danger comes from the air or the ground.
• Meerkats are cooperative breeders. A dominant pair produces most of the pups, and other members of the group help by babysitting, feeding, and teaching the youngsters, including how to handle dangerous prey such as scorpions. This shared care gives pups a strong chance of survival in a harsh environment.
• Dark patches around the eyes cut glare from the bright desert sun, like built-in sunglasses, and long claws make meerkats expert diggers of the extensive burrow systems where they shelter from heat and predators. They are partly immune to the venom of some scorpions and snakes they hunt.

Communication

• Meerkat uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Desert and dry savanna

Ecological role

Meerkat plays a recognised ecological role in desert and dry savanna.

Conservation status of the Meerkat

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Meerkat:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Suricata suricatta.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Suricata suricatta. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Suricata suricatta. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• IUCN Red List — Suricata suricatta.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Suricata suricatta. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Meerkat.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.