🏷️
Classification
Mammal
🍽️
Diet
Omnivore
⏱️
Lifespan
12–14 years
⚖️
Weight
0.6–1 kg
Population Trend
➡️Stable
Description
The Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is a mammal indigenous to South Africa. It inhabits arid and semi-arid open plains, savannas, and scrublands of southern africa.
Habitat
🌿 arid and semi-arid open plains🌿 savannas🌿 and scrublands of southern africa
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Herpestidae
Genus
Suricata
Fun Facts
1
Meerkats live in highly organized colonies of up to 50 individuals with designated sentinels who stand watch for predators
2
They have dark patches around their eyes that reduce sun glare, like built-in sunglasses for spotting aerial predators
3
Their population is stable and widespread across southern Africa's arid regions
4
Meerkats have become cultural icons through the TV show 'Meerkat Manor' and are a beloved symbol of the Kalahari Desert
5
They can dig with remarkable speed, moving their own body weight in sand in just seconds when excavating burrows