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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
slender-tailed
meercat, suricate |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Carnivora |
| FAMILY: |
Herpestidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Suricata
(South African Dutch meaning lake cat) suricatta |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
meercat has short legs with long, thin bodies, and
long, slender tails with a dark tip. The fur is
short and tan to grayish usually with darker gray
bars. The markings on their backs are unique, no
two alike. Males and females look similar. All have
dark brown or black bands around their eyes. Their
ears are tipped with dark brown or black. Their
faces and necks are lighter. They have four digits
on each foot with very sharp non-retractable curved
claws. |
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| SIZE: |
Stand
30 cm (12 in) high on average |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately
0.91 kg (2 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Includes
worms, insects, small rodents, lizards, snakes,
scorpions, bird eggs, fruits, and ant larvae |
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| GESTATION: |
6-12 weeks; 2-3 young |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
About
10 months |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
About
10 years wild, 15 years captivity |
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| RANGE: |
Southern
Africa, Kalahari Desert |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
broad sandy plains covered with grasses and thorn
scrub; live in underground burrows |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Meerkats
live in a dominant alpha male and female group or
communities of 5-15. All group members have a designated
role such as babysitters and sentries. They take
turns or shifts performing each role. |
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| 2. |
In the event of a predator, they will act as a group
and fight to protect each other. |
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| 3. |
A low metabolic rate allows them to survive with
less food and water. Meerkats have long curved claws
for digging, closed ears to keep out dirt when burrowing,
and a specialized coat that keeps them warm when
temps are cool and cool when temps are high. |
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| 4. |
Meerkats
have outstanding vision; dark rings around their
eyes help reduce glare from the sun. A nictitating
membrane on their eye acts like a windshield wiper
to remove sand from their eyes when they blink. |
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| 5. |
They
stand on their back legs and balance themselves
with their tails, allowing them to see well. |
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| 6. |
They
communicate with sound, scent, and body language.
There are over 20 different sounds that have been
recorded, and all have different meanings. |
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| 7. |
Their
underground burrows may have 20 different entrances
and exits. |
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| 8. |
They
are territorial and maintain an area of about 1-3
miles. |
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| 9. |
Beta
females sometimes become impregnated by males of
other groups. They will try to sneak their pups
into the alpha females litter. If the alpha female
notices, she will kill and eat the pups of the beta
female. |
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| Meercats
are protected in the Kalahari National Park
Meerkats
are very important in the food chain, cleaning
up small insects, rodents, and lizards. This relative
of the mongoose is prey for birds of prey, jackals,
wild cats, cobras.
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|
|
Grzimek, B. 1990. Grzimek's Encyclopedia, Mammals.
McGraw-Hill Publishing, Co. New York. |
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http://www.meerkats.net |
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http://www.meerkats.org
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