All Animals

Meerkat

Suricata suricatta
Mammal

Step into the world of our meerkats and unlock the wonders of these extraordinary creatures

A meerkat sitting on a rock

Meerkats have natural immunity to scorpion and snake venom, and are well-known for their upright and intensely alert posture when scanning their surroundings. Teamwork and cooperation help to ensure their survival, and all meerkats in a group seem to have clearly defined roles.

A wide vocabulary of noises are used by meerkats to communicate with each other and other animals. You may hear them making noises such as purring to show contentment, chattering when nervous, and squealing/squeaking to alert others of danger.

Meerkats are highly sociable but territorial animals, and they inhabit their territories in packs. A pack will typically have 10 - 30 individuals made up of 3 - 4 family units, who will keep to themselves within the pack.

Quick facts

Distribution:

Southwest Africa

Habitat:

Prairies, plains, savannah

Conservation Status:

Least Concern

Fun fact

The black patches around a meerkat’s eyes act as sunglasses! The black protects their eyes against the sun’s glare.