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Meerkat

Suricata suricatta

By Any Other Name: The meerkat, also called the slender-tailed meerkat or suricate, is the only species in its genus Suricata. A small mongoose, it lives in large social colonies made up of several family units. It is often found in association with other mongoose species, as well as squirrels and various other rodents.

A Vast Repertoire: It has many chatterlike calls in its repertoire. During the night, it shelters in a multichambered burrow; in the daytime, it basks in the sun near the entrance or goes foraging for insects, small mammals, reptiles, birds and their eggs, fruit, and vegetation.

Always on Alert: It has highly developed senses of smell, vision, and hearing, and may sometimes be seen standing up on its hind legs, alert to danger. When a meerkat spots a predator, it will sound an alarm call to warn the others of the colony.

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MORE MEERKAT

VIDEO: Go Behind the Burrow

SITE: Meerkat Manor

GAME: Meerkat Grab-a-Snack

QUIZ: Which Meerkat Are You?

GAME: Meerkat Dance-Off

PHOTOS: Meerkat Photo Gallery

INTERACTIVE: Meerkat Zoo Finder

INDEX: Meerkat Manor Site Map

DID YOU KNOW?

Built-In Ear Muffs: Native to the Kalahari Desert, meerkats have unique flaps of skin around their ears to keep sand out while digging.

The "Sun Angel": Some Africans call the meerkat the "sun angel," believing it protects their villages, stray cattle and lone tribesmen from the "moon devil," or werewolf.

Wiping Poison Away: Meerkats rub millipedes in the sand before eating them. Doing so removes the toxins from the insects' skin.

Stomach Solar Panel: The meerkat has a relatively bare patch of black skin on its belly. It exposes this patch to the sun, typically in the morning, in order to absorb heat and warm up.