Top 8 interesting facts about Meerkat

Most of the people know meerkats for their Mongoose family. But they don’t know the actual facts about meerkats. In this article you will find the important facts about meerkat

The Meerkat, a small animal of the Mongoose family, lives in a group of about 40 people, watches for enemies, and takes good care of its own young. Most people know Meerkat as ‘Timon’, a fictional character from the animated movie ‘The Lion King’.

Interesting Facts about Meerkat:

There are so many facts about meerkat but, we only talk about those main facts about meerkat.

Meerkats are anti-venom:

Their body can withstand any snake bite. Scientists have discovered that since they are from the mongoose family, they can withstand any snake bite or venom. In different parts of the world, they are kept to guard houses, because they can fight poisonous snakes (Cobra).

 

Group or team

Their group is usually called Mob. They are about 40 people in a group. Everyone in this group fulfills his own responsibility properly.

Read More: 12 fun facts about Cheetah | Cheetah details information

Intelligent Animals:

Meerkat is a tiny animal in size. Besides being small, they are called intelligent animals because they have enough intelligence. Together they can solve any problem.

 

Omnivores

They are usually omnivores. They eat fruits, vegetables, and meat. Meerkats use their keen sense of smell to catch and eat many insects.

 

Can survive without drinking water

Can survive without water despite living in hot, dry desert regions. They get all the fluids from preying kit insects. An adult human can survive 3 to 5 days without drinking water, while a meerkat can survive without drinking water.

 

Any type of desert

Meerkats live throughout the Kalahari Desert in Boston. Also inhabits the Namib Desert of Namibia and northwestern Angola and South Africa.

 

Eyesight

The eyesight of these species of animals is sharp. They can see birds from many miles away. They have deep black spots around their eyes that protect them from sunlight and help them see at a distance.

 

The life of Meerkat:

Meerkats live up to 4 years in the wild with many attacks by predators. But they usually live for 12 to 14 years and even 20 years. They live very hard in the desert.

Physical characteristics

• The physical characteristics of meerkats are –
• Skin color – brown, grey, black and white, etc.
• Skin – The entire body is covered with soft hair
• Height – 9.75 to 11.75 inches
• Tail – 7.5 to 9.5 inches
• Weight: They weigh up to 2.2 pounds.

Read More:  Why tigers don’t live in AFRICA?

Where do Meerkat live?

Meerkats live in dry open spaces, treeless grasslands, or deserts. They usually inhabit almost all the edges of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa and the Bastian Province.

Meerkat Diet:

Their main food is insects. Their strong sense of smell means that no prey can escape from them. Meerkats can dig in the ground at very fast speeds and collect food from underground. They usually eat insects, spiders, snails, birds, eggs, various chameleons, and crabs.

 

Meerkat Behavior

Meerkats are social animals. They each perform their respective duties very well. Each of their groups has an alpha male and an alpha female.

Each group of these species has a specific territory. When they run out of food, they all search for food together. When they are in danger, they make a loud noise so that everyone in their party gets into the hole.

They stand upright on their legs or stand on their big toes to sense the movement of the wind or to see if an enemy is attacking. These species of animals have keen eyesight and are very intelligent.

Meerkat Family Life:

Men and Women:

Females are bigger than males in the meerkat family. Female meerkats nurse their young during food shortages.

Child:

Babies of meerkats are called pups. Babies are born with closed eyes and little hair on their heads. Their eyes open after 2 weeks and pups start eating milk and food after three weeks.

Young Meerkat:

Young meerkats are taught what food and how to eat by their mothers or other meerkats. Mother meerkats bring chameleons and other food to their young. Mother teaches them how to gather food, hunt, clean, and hide.

What is a meerkats biggest predator?

Their main enemies are eagles, hawks, and foxes. They make a small hole to hide from enemies. If at any time they are caught in an open space by the enemy, they try to frighten the enemy with their claws and teeth. But when they are together in groups, all of them scare the enemy.

FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)

 SOURCES: Wikipedia, National Geographic