Animals

Meerkat

Suricata Suricatta

Meerkats live in family groups! Meerkats are tan, brown, and gray in color with a silver tint. Short stripes on the back are unique to each meerkat like a human fingerprint. Like people, meerkats are very social animals and live in groups called clans. Look for some of the following common behaviors: (a) a meerkat on guard duty watching out for the others, (b) a meerkat on guard duty making a peeping sound, (c) a meerkat making a growling sound while searching for food, (d) a meerkat marking its territory with scent using a gland near its rear with which it will rub on anything and everything, (e) meerkats rubbing against each other to help express affection and share scents.

Fun Facts

Classification

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Herpestidae

Genus: Suricata

Species: S. Suricatta

Habitat

Meerkats live in the deserts and grasslands of the southern tip of Africa.