Meerkat facts

Meerkats, also known as Suricates are said to work altogether in numbers. Amongst the

group, some will always look up to alert others about the predators like the eagles and hawks that just comes down and pick them up on their claws and flies away. They are considered as great hunters and if you can tame them right, then they will be a good rodent catcher as well. They feed on insects, birds, lizards as well as fruits. They communicate with each other with a purring sound and as they work as a team, communication definitely plays a vital role in that. They can stand on the rear legs of theirs and gaze around the African plains. You will see that the mothers can nurse their younger ones even when they are standing. The female meerkats give births to maximum four young meerkats every year. In raising a young meerkat, the father and siblings contribute equally by teaching them how to play as well as forage and as well as alert them to the present danger that is around them. They are so fearful of their predators that even the sound of airplanes makes them looking for cover. They dig several burrows and use each one for separate reasons. They move on from one to the other and each burrow has extensive tunnel as well as room system which is cold naturally and helps them maintain their cool under scorching sun of Africa.

Some other facts of meerkats are as follows:

1. They are part of the mongoose family which is also a small mammal just like the meerkats. Animal Planet is responsible for making the Meerkat manor a popular name amongst the masses followed by several other meerkat families in the desert area of Kalahari.

2. You will find these mammals in the countries of Botswana and South Africa.

3. Their group generally consists of 20 members, but you will also find them in a huge number of 50 members as well. Within these group members, one or two of them looks for the predators and the others are involved in scavenging for food. One alpha meerkat leads the group where the others follow.

4. In a group, only dominant couple produces pups and the rest of the group member babysits them. In a group, you will see that the females are dominant and in the group you will find children mostly along with their siblings.

5. In order to sustain their unit, they even risk their own lives to save the lives of their younger ones. 

6. There is a sentry in every unit, which will go out of the burrow to see whether there is any predator outside or not, if they see everything is clear and nothing is there to fear, then they will step out with the whole unit else they will stay inside.

7. The eyes of the meerkats have clear and protective membrane that actually works as a shield which protects their eyes from the dirt while they are busy digging the burrows and even their ears are tightly closed to keep out the dirt from entering their ears.

8. Meerkats are omnivores who eat both plants as well as animals and their diet includes insects, fruits, eggs, birds, lizards, etc.

9. Their bellies are covered with fur too allowing them to warm up with their face up towards the sun.

10. They can look out at the sun due to the dark patches around their eyes which helps in reducing the glare of the scorching sun of the African sky.