How Meerkats Function

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Meerkats are small, social mammals that live in the deserts and grasslands of southern Africa. They are known for their cooperative behavior and intricate social structure. Meerkats live in groups of up to 50 individuals, led by a dominant male and female. They have a complex system of communication, using a variety of vocalizations and body language to signal danger and food sources. Meerkats are omnivores, eating insects, small vertebrates, and plant matter. They are also renowned for their sentinel behavior, where one or more individuals will stand guard while the others forage for food. Meerkats are fascinating creatures that have captured the attention of many people around the world.

Wild Animals

Reproduction of Meerkats

Young meerkats engage in wrestling matches to hone their skills.
Mattias Klum/National Geographic/Getty Images

The alpha female meerkat is generally the largest female in the group. She fights and scratches her way to the top position. She is the only female allowed to mate in the group and pairs exclusively with the alpha male.

Meerkat society practices cooperative breeding, and everyone contributes to caring for the young. When the pups are born, they are hairless and cannot open their eyes or ears for at least 10 days. Non-breeders take turns babysitting the pups inside the burrow while the mother forages for food. The pups do not emerge from the burrow until they are approximately three weeks old.

The elder meerkats are the educators. Meerkats rely more on mentoring than instinct when it comes to learning foraging and detecting danger. By the time the pups are a month old, they are weaned and integrated into the group. But for the first three months, they do not know how to handle prey or find food, so their babysitters continue to feed them.

Both adults and pups engage in play fighting. Young meerkats play fight to learn and practice their skills, while adults use it to establish dominance in the group.

Although the dominant female is the only female allowed to mate in the meerkat community, she is responsible for only 80 percent of the litters produced [source: National Geographic]. Meerkats reach sexual maturity at around one year old, and some beta females may become pregnant before leaving the group. Males initiate sex with females year-round by fighting with them. After a pregnancy of approximately 11 weeks, the female gives birth to a litter ranging from two to four pups [source: Honolulu Zoo].

When a beta female has babies, there are a few possible scenarios. The pups of the non-dominant meerkat may be hidden and raised with other pups in the burrow. However, this is unlikely, and researchers have discovered that meerkats often practice infanticide. In order to maintain dominance and secure the most resources for her own offspring, pregnant alpha females sometimes kill the pups born to beta females. On the other hand, subordinate females may kill the alpha female’s litter, as well as pups born by other beta females, to maximize the chances of survival and quality of care for their own young [source: National Geographic]. Researchers refer to this as the dark side of cooperative breeding.

The Widespread Mourning of Flower

News of Flower’s death spread quickly and widely. Shortly after her passing, U.P.I. published her obituary on their wire service. Fans sent condolences to the network and posted messages on online forums. Hundreds of tribute videos were created and shared on YouTube. Flower was referred to as a queen and the Kalahari Desert Rose.

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• What Are Smart Mobs?

More Useful Links

• Adopt a Meerkat Program
• Meerkat Manor: Animal Planet
• National Geographic: Meerkat Profile

Sources Cited

• Animal Diversity Web. Museum of Zoology. University of Michigan. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
• Ashley Gosselin-Ildari, Ashley. ” Suricata suricatta, Meerkat.” NSF Digital Library at UT Austin. http://www.digimorph.org/specimens/Suricata_suricatta/
• Bellafante, Ginia. “‘The Desert Has Lost Its Favorite Rose’: Death Comes to the Whiskers Family.” The New York Times. 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/arts/television/10bell.html
• Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center. http://www.fellowearthlings.org/
• Honolulu Zoo. http://www.honoluluzoo.org/meerkat.htm
• “Lacey Act.” Michigan State University College of Law. http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusfd16usca3371.htm
• “Lacey Act.” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Office of Law Enforcement. http://www.fws.gov/le/pdffiles/Lacey.pdf
• “Mammals: Meerkat.” San Diego Zoo. http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-meerkat.html
• Manser, Martha B. “Response of foraging group members to sentinel calls in suricates, Suricata suricatta.” Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. 1999. http://www.zool.uzh.ch/static/research/vb_manser/literatur/pdf99/Manser_1999.pdf
• “Meerkat.” National Geographic. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat.html
• “Meerkat Biology and Behaviour.” Kalahari Meerkat Project. http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/index.php?id=about-meerkats
• Meerkats.net
• Norris, Scott. “Murderous Meerkat Moms Contradict Caring Image, Study Finds.” National Geograhic. 2006. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0315_060315_meerkats.html
• Ray, C. Claiborne. “Q & A; Cat or Meerkat?” The New York Times. 2003. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E2DD113DF93AA35751C1A9659C8B63&n=Top%2FNews%2FScience%2FTopics%2FAnimals

FAQ

1. What are meerkats?

Meerkats are small, social mammals that belong to the mongoose family. They are native to parts of southern Africa, including the Kalahari Desert.

2. How do meerkats live in the wild?

Meerkats live in large groups called mobs or gangs, which can consist of up to 50 individuals. They build complex underground burrow systems that have multiple entrances and chambers for sleeping, nesting, and storing food. Meerkats are diurnal, which means they are most active during the day.

3. What do meerkats eat?

Meerkats are omnivores and eat a variety of foods, including insects, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fruit. They are known for their ability to hunt scorpions, which they kill by biting off the stinger and then eating the rest of the body.

4. How do meerkats communicate?

Meerkats communicate using a variety of vocalizations, body language, and scent marking. They have at least 10 different vocalizations that they use to communicate with each other, including alarm calls to warn of predators and contact calls to keep the group together.

5. What are meerkat social dynamics like?

Meerkats have a highly structured social system that is based on a dominance hierarchy. The dominant pair in the group is usually the only one that breeds, and subordinate members of the group help with caring for and protecting the young.

6. How do meerkats protect themselves from predators?

Meerkats have several strategies for protecting themselves from predators, including standing on their hind legs to get a better view of their surroundings, mobbing and attacking predators as a group, and using underground burrows as safe havens.

7. How long do meerkats live?

Meerkats typically live for 5-12 years in the wild, although they can live up to 14 years in captivity.

8. Are meerkats endangered?

Meerkats are currently classified as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, they are still at risk of habitat loss due to human development and climate change.

9. Can meerkats be kept as pets?

Meerkats are not suitable as pets. They are highly social animals that require a large, complex environment and a group of conspecifics to thrive. In addition, they are wild animals that can carry diseases and may become aggressive towards humans.

10. Are meerkats featured in popular culture?

Meerkats have become popular in popular culture due to their cute and quirky appearance. They have been featured in movies, TV shows, and commercials, and have even become the mascots for certain companies.