Meerkats are active during the day, mostly in the early morning and late afternoon; they remain continually alert and retreat to burrows when sensing danger.
By Charles J. Sharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37060511
By Lestat (Jan Mehlich) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2563400
The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern.
The weight is typically between 0.62 and 0.97 kg (1.4 and 2.1 lb). Meerkats have foreclaws adapted for digging and have the ability to thermoregulate to survive in their harsh, dry habitat.
Meerkats are highly social, and form packs of two to 30 individuals each that occupy home ranges around 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) in area. The burrow systems, typically 5 m (16 ft) in diameter with around 15 openings, are large underground networks consisting of two to three levels of tunnels.
Burrows have moderated internal temperatures and provide a comfortable microclimate that protects meerkats in harsh weather and at extreme temperatures.
They use a broad variety of calls to communicate among one another for different purposes, for example to raise an alarm on sighting a predator. Primarily insectivorous, meerkats feed heavily on beetles and lepidopterans, arthropods, amphibians, small birds, reptiles, and plant material in their diet.
Encounters between members of different packs are highly aggressive, leading to severe injuries and often deaths.
Sources:
(*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerkat
(*) https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_suricate.html
(*) https://fascinatingafrica.com/species/meerkat
Sources:
(*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerkat
(*) https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_suricate.html
(*) https://fascinatingafrica.com/species/meerkat