Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Wildlife Explorer collectible · Meerkat
🐾 Discover the meerkat
Meerkats live in the dry savannas, grasslands, and semi-deserts of Southern Africa, in extensive underground burrows with multiple entrances.
🔎 At a glance
- Animal group: Mammal
- Region: Africa
- Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)
- Diet: mainly insects and small animals
🌍 Where does it live?
Meerkats dig underground burrows with dozens of entrances and tunnels, often in dry, open areas where they have a good view of approaching danger.
🌿 What does it eat?
Mainly insects, larvae, spiders, and other small animals, supplemented with small reptiles and occasional plant material.
👪 How it lives
Meerkats live in groups and work together: while most animals forage, one animal often stands upright on guard to signal predators early.
✨ Special about this animal
The dark patch around their eyes acts as natural sunglasses against bright sunlight, and their sharp senses make the meerkat excellent at spotting danger early.
💡 Did you know?
- Meerkats use up to twenty different alarm calls, each for a different type of danger.
- They have a certain resistance to some snake venoms.
- Young are raised communally by the entire group.
- They can dig tunnels incredibly fast to take shelter.
🌿 Threats & conservation
The meerkat is classified as Least Concern (LC) and is not considered globally endangered, although local habitats may be under pressure from human activity.
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