Meerkat Research Paper
The Meerkat
Erika Mercado
Zoology 1406
4/11/2013
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Herpestidae
Genus: Suricata
Specific epithet: Suricata suricatta
The meerkat, Suricata suricatta, is a miniature mammal belonging to the mongoose family. They belong to the order Carnivora, and they are classified in their own family the Herpestidae. They were formerly included within the Viverridae, a very old carnivore family that includes civets and genets. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Mongooses have long bodies, four short legs, and long tails. Many kinds of mongooses live alone while others live in small groups. Meerkats live together in large group of numbers. A group of meerkats are usually …show more content…
called a “gang” and can have up to 30 members. (Storad, 2007) Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert located in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Angola. (Burton & Burton, 2002) They are principally found on dry, sandy plains where there is little vegetation other than low grass. They are also found in some rocky areas.
Meerkats are territorial and the range of their land depends on the size of their pack. They generally live in colonies, in burrows that they dig for themselves. They are energetic diggers and the burrows, which are close together, have numerous entrances leading to passages up to 1 foot (30cm) wide and going down as deep as 6 ½ feet (2 m) underground. (Burton & Burton, 2002) The burrows are an elaborate underground quarters with multiple tunnels that connects to dens and other entry holes. Dens are used for protection, sleeping and breeding. According to the International Wildlife Encyclopedia, meerkats construct a sub-system of entrances and tunnels made around the territory and used as safe houses or escapes when danger arises. Although they are territorial, the meerkats will sometimes live with the ground squirrel, Geosciurus inauris, and the yellow mongoose, Cynictis pencillata. (Burton & Burton, 2002) Meerkats come out soon after sunrise to feed, returning to their burrows at dusk. Meerkats spend a significant part of the day foraging for their food with their sensitive noses. They mostly eat insects, however, they will also eat small mammals, snakes, birds, grubs, and scorpions. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Meerkats do not usually wander far from their burrows and consequently soon use up the local food supplies. The whole colony will then migrate to another cluster of burrows.
A full-grown adult meerkat weighs about 2 to 3 pounds.
When the meerkat stands up straight on its hind legs, they are about 10 to 12 inches tall. The meerkats have an 8 to 9 inch slender tails which they use for balance when standing up. They have only four toes on each foot, and the toes on the front feet have long claws which are used for digging and climbing. The color of their coats varies from dark to grizzled light gray or tan, with broad dark bands across the back and a black-tipped tail. The meerkat has a pointed snout with lots of tiny, sharp teeth. Their ears and eyes have special features to keep the sand out. They are able to close their ears, and their eyes have a membrane called the nictitating membrane that removes sand with a blink. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Their eyes are also darkly rimmed, which reduces glare and enhances their vision in the bright desert sun. During the day the meerkats spread on their bellies on the damp earth or warm rocks, or stand upright with their bellies facing toward the sun to help regulate their body temperature. (Burton & Burton, 2002) Meerkas also maintain their body temperature by including group nesting and retreating to the …show more content…
burrows.
In each pack there is a dominant male that tries to prevent other males from mating.
There is also a dominant female which is usually the largest female in the pack that produces more litters than other females. Females compete more intensely than males to gain dominance. (Clutton-Brock, 2006) This is highly unusual because in most animal species, the males tend to compete more strongly for breeding opportunities. Females may have to compete more intensely than males to keep other females from breeding. According to Timothy Clutton-Brock, dominant females ensure their status by typically having male characteristics, including high levels of testosterone and higher body mass. Meerkats breed throughout the year, but most births take place around October through April. (Burton & Burton, 2002) The pups are born in a grass-line nest in the burrow. Pups won’t emerge from the burrow until they’re about three weeks old. Their eyes begin to open on the tenth day and by then are completely covered with hair. The pups don’t fully grow their adult coat for at least 2 months from birth. Meerkats are unusual among carnivores in that the pups are raised with the assistance of adults other than the parents. (Clutton-Brock, 2006) They assist with the feeding, defending and babysitting the pups when the alpha female takes off to forage for food. In the pack there are also beta males and beta females. Beta males will sometimes voluntarily leave the pack to become a new dominant
male in another gang, or to form a new gang with unrelated females. The beta females, however, are forced to leave if they become pregnant and usually are not allowed to return back to the pack.
Meerkats must constantly be guarded against any attack because they are very active during the day and stay most of the day outside of their burrow. The meerkats’ predators are from raptors such as hawks and eagles, snakes and other competitive meerkat gangs. Meerkats use sentinels, or lookouts, to stay safe. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) One meerkat will rotate throughout the day to stand watch for approaching predators while the rest of the group concentrates on foraging or other daily activities. If a predator is spotted, the sentinel lets everyone know through a specific bark, similar to a sounding siren or alarm. Once the sentinel sounds the alarm, the meerkats will run either to the bolt-holes, fend off the attacker, stand tall in alert stance, or mob the enemy. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Meerkats live in a cooperative social system. The group's alpha male or the alpha female also marks the group's territory to protect the boundary from rivals and predators.
Works Cited
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2013, April 11). Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/575214/meerkat
(2002). International Wildlife Encyclopedia Set. In M. Burton, & R. Burton, International Wildlife Encyclopedia Set (pp. 1595-1597). Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.
Clutton-Brock, T. (2006). Making the Paper: Competition and Cooperation in Meerkat Production. Making the Paper: Competition and Cooperation in Meerkat Production, 11.
Storad, C. J. (2007). Meerkats. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company.
Erika Mercado
Zoology 1406
4/11/2013
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Herpestidae
Genus: Suricata
Specific epithet: Suricata suricatta
The meerkat, Suricata suricatta, is a miniature mammal belonging to the mongoose family. They belong to the order Carnivora, and they are classified in their own family the Herpestidae. They were formerly included within the Viverridae, a very old carnivore family that includes civets and genets. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Mongooses have long bodies, four short legs, and long tails. Many kinds of mongooses live alone while others live in small groups. Meerkats live together in large group of numbers. A group of meerkats are usually …show more content…
called a “gang” and can have up to 30 members. (Storad, 2007) Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert located in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Angola. (Burton & Burton, 2002) They are principally found on dry, sandy plains where there is little vegetation other than low grass. They are also found in some rocky areas.
Meerkats are territorial and the range of their land depends on the size of their pack. They generally live in colonies, in burrows that they dig for themselves. They are energetic diggers and the burrows, which are close together, have numerous entrances leading to passages up to 1 foot (30cm) wide and going down as deep as 6 ½ feet (2 m) underground. (Burton & Burton, 2002) The burrows are an elaborate underground quarters with multiple tunnels that connects to dens and other entry holes. Dens are used for protection, sleeping and breeding. According to the International Wildlife Encyclopedia, meerkats construct a sub-system of entrances and tunnels made around the territory and used as safe houses or escapes when danger arises. Although they are territorial, the meerkats will sometimes live with the ground squirrel, Geosciurus inauris, and the yellow mongoose, Cynictis pencillata. (Burton & Burton, 2002) Meerkats come out soon after sunrise to feed, returning to their burrows at dusk. Meerkats spend a significant part of the day foraging for their food with their sensitive noses. They mostly eat insects, however, they will also eat small mammals, snakes, birds, grubs, and scorpions. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Meerkats do not usually wander far from their burrows and consequently soon use up the local food supplies. The whole colony will then migrate to another cluster of burrows.
A full-grown adult meerkat weighs about 2 to 3 pounds.
When the meerkat stands up straight on its hind legs, they are about 10 to 12 inches tall. The meerkats have an 8 to 9 inch slender tails which they use for balance when standing up. They have only four toes on each foot, and the toes on the front feet have long claws which are used for digging and climbing. The color of their coats varies from dark to grizzled light gray or tan, with broad dark bands across the back and a black-tipped tail. The meerkat has a pointed snout with lots of tiny, sharp teeth. Their ears and eyes have special features to keep the sand out. They are able to close their ears, and their eyes have a membrane called the nictitating membrane that removes sand with a blink. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Their eyes are also darkly rimmed, which reduces glare and enhances their vision in the bright desert sun. During the day the meerkats spread on their bellies on the damp earth or warm rocks, or stand upright with their bellies facing toward the sun to help regulate their body temperature. (Burton & Burton, 2002) Meerkas also maintain their body temperature by including group nesting and retreating to the …show more content…
burrows.
In each pack there is a dominant male that tries to prevent other males from mating.
There is also a dominant female which is usually the largest female in the pack that produces more litters than other females. Females compete more intensely than males to gain dominance. (Clutton-Brock, 2006) This is highly unusual because in most animal species, the males tend to compete more strongly for breeding opportunities. Females may have to compete more intensely than males to keep other females from breeding. According to Timothy Clutton-Brock, dominant females ensure their status by typically having male characteristics, including high levels of testosterone and higher body mass. Meerkats breed throughout the year, but most births take place around October through April. (Burton & Burton, 2002) The pups are born in a grass-line nest in the burrow. Pups won’t emerge from the burrow until they’re about three weeks old. Their eyes begin to open on the tenth day and by then are completely covered with hair. The pups don’t fully grow their adult coat for at least 2 months from birth. Meerkats are unusual among carnivores in that the pups are raised with the assistance of adults other than the parents. (Clutton-Brock, 2006) They assist with the feeding, defending and babysitting the pups when the alpha female takes off to forage for food. In the pack there are also beta males and beta females. Beta males will sometimes voluntarily leave the pack to become a new dominant
male in another gang, or to form a new gang with unrelated females. The beta females, however, are forced to leave if they become pregnant and usually are not allowed to return back to the pack.
Meerkats must constantly be guarded against any attack because they are very active during the day and stay most of the day outside of their burrow. The meerkats’ predators are from raptors such as hawks and eagles, snakes and other competitive meerkat gangs. Meerkats use sentinels, or lookouts, to stay safe. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) One meerkat will rotate throughout the day to stand watch for approaching predators while the rest of the group concentrates on foraging or other daily activities. If a predator is spotted, the sentinel lets everyone know through a specific bark, similar to a sounding siren or alarm. Once the sentinel sounds the alarm, the meerkats will run either to the bolt-holes, fend off the attacker, stand tall in alert stance, or mob the enemy. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013) Meerkats live in a cooperative social system. The group's alpha male or the alpha female also marks the group's territory to protect the boundary from rivals and predators.
Works Cited
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2013, April 11). Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/575214/meerkat
(2002). International Wildlife Encyclopedia Set. In M. Burton, & R. Burton, International Wildlife Encyclopedia Set (pp. 1595-1597). Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.
Clutton-Brock, T. (2006). Making the Paper: Competition and Cooperation in Meerkat Production. Making the Paper: Competition and Cooperation in Meerkat Production, 11.
Storad, C. J. (2007). Meerkats. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company.