Meerkats are well known for their complex social systems living in groups of around 20 individuals although there have been sightings of super families with 50 + members. Within the group will be a dominant male and female, these two individuals are often the only 2 to breed and will often scent-mark subordinates of the group to express their authority.
Although often only the alpha pair will breed, other individuals in the group will often help out with babysitting with females even producing milk to help feed the alphas brood. Baby meerkats do not start foraging for food until they are about one month old, and they do so by following an older member of the group who acts as the pup’s tutor sometimes even disarming difficult prey items such as scorpions whilst the pups practice hunting.
Whilst the group including the older pups is out hunting one member will stay on sentry duty watching for danger, the group take this in turns rotating roughly every hour. When anything out of the usual is spotted an alarm call is sounded upon which the meerkats will run for cover with the babysitter carrying the young underground to safety.
Meerkats have a number of adaptations to survive in their desert environment including black rings around their eyes which act as sunglasses and thin hair on their stomachs which helps absorb heat when sunbathing during the cold mornings and evenings.
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern.
It is listed as Least Concern because this species is relatively widespread within southern Africa, present in several protected areas, and there are no major threats.
The following wonderful people have adopted our meerkat Cassandra:
June 2022
Dexter D
October 2022
Mamiko
April 2023
Issy J
Want to adopt one of our meerkats? Click here to adopt Cassandra.
