dcsimg

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

provided by AnAge articles
Maximum longevity: 20.6 years (captivity) Observations: In the wild these animals are estimated to live up to 15 years (van Staaden 1994). In captivity, one specimen was 20.6 years of age when it died (Ronald Nowak 1999).
license
cc-by-3.0
copyright
Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
editor
de Magalhaes, J. P.
partner site
AnAge articles

Trophic Strategy

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Meerkats are mainly insectivorous, but will take small vertebrates, eggs, and plant matter. They forage regularly for these food items, digging in soil and grass and overturning rocks. Their animal diet consists of 82% insects, 7% arachnids, 3% centipedes, 3% millipedes, 2% reptiles, and 2% birds. Captive meerkats will prey readily upon small mammals (van Staaden, 1994).

Animal Foods: birds; mammals; reptiles; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods

Plant Foods: leaves

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Associations

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Predators include various avian and mammalian carnivores, such as hawks and eagles (particularly the Martial Eagle) and jackals.

S. suricatta shows a variety of anti-predator behaviors. These behaviors include alarm calling, maintaining an alert stance by propping the body into an upright position, running for cover, defensive threats, mobbing an enemy, self defense, and covering the young.

In defensive threats and mobbing, meerkats appear larger than they actually are. An individual will arch its back, standing as tall as possible on all four legs, with hair and tail erect, and its head lowered. At the same time, it will rock back and forth, growl, hiss, and spit in an attempt to intimidate its enemy. Mobbing requires a group of meerkats all giving defensive threats at the same time. If a predator approaches in spite of these bluffs, a meerkat will lie on its back with teeth and claws fully visible, protecting the back of its neck.

For aerial predators, meerkats will most often flee to a burrow if an attack seems forthcoming. If surprised, however, adults will cover their offspring with their own bodies (Estes, 1991).

Known Predators:

  • hawks (Accipitridae)
  • martial eagles (Polemaetus bellicosus)
  • jackals (Canis)
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Morphology

provided by Animal Diversity Web

S. suricatta is a small herpestid with males averaging 731 grams and females 720 grams. The body and legs of these animals are long and slender, with head and body length between 250 and 350 mm. The tail is thin and tapering to a point, and adds 175-250 mm to the total length of the animal. It is not bushy like many mongoose species.

The face is also tapered, coming to a point at the nose and rounded at the forehead. The ears are small and crescent-shaped. The color of the coat varies geographically. In the southern portion of their range, pelage color is darker, with lighter pelage coloration in the more arid regions, following Gloger's rule. Generally, the color of the coat is peppered gray, tan, or brown with a silver tint. The nose is brown. The ventral parts of the body are only sparsely covered with hair. The fore claws are enlarged for digging and the tail is yellowish tan in color with a distinctive black tip. In addition, there are distinctive dark patches around the eyes. Dark horizontal bands run across the dorsal parts of the body except the head and tail.

The skull exhibits large eye sockets, no sagittal crest, thin zygomatic arch, and a coronoid process of medium height. The dental formula is 3/3 1/1 3/3 2/2 = 36. The incisors curve slightly and the cheek teeth have high, pointed cusps

(van Staaden, 1994; Nowak, 1999).

Average mass: 720-731 g.

Range length: 425 to 600 mm.

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Average mass: 776 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 1.729 W.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Life Expectancy

provided by Animal Diversity Web

In captivity, Meerkats have been known to live for over 12 years (Honolulu Zoo, 2001; Oakland Zoo, 1999). Lifespan in the wild may be from 5 to 15 years (van Staaden, 1994).

Range lifespan
Status: wild:
1 (high) years.

Range lifespan
Status: captivity:
12 (high) years.

Typical lifespan
Status: wild:
5 to 15 years.

Average lifespan
Status: captivity:
12.5 years.

Average lifespan
Status: captivity:
12.0 years.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Habitat

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Meerkats inhabit the most open and arid country of any mongoose species. They are found in areas of savannah and open plains and their distribution depends on soil type, with firm to hard soils being common living grounds (Estes, 1991; van Staaden, 1994).

Habitat Regions: tropical

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Distribution

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) inhabit portions of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, extending from the south west arid biotic zone and eastward into neighboring southern savanna and grassland areas (van Staaden, 1994). These areas include the majority of the southern tip of Africa up to about 17 degrees South latitude.

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Associations

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Meerkats are an important link in the food web. They provide food for predators. They also take many invertebrates, probably acting as a control on their own prey populations.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Benefits

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Meerkats may slow the increase of agricultural pest populations, in particularly Lepidopterans. In addition, meerkats adapt well to captive settings and are a popular zoo exhibit animal (van Staaden, 1994).

Positive Impacts: controls pest population

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Benefits

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Meerkats are significant carriers of rabies. However, there have only been 10 documented instances of rabies-infected meerkats attacking people or domestic animals in the past ten years. They are also a carrier of tick-borne diseases (van Staaden, 1994).

In some areas, meerkats are regarded as pests (The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens). This label is probably correlated with the ecological effects of their burrow construction and being carriers of disease (van Staaden, 1994).

Negative Impacts: crop pest; causes or carries domestic animal disease

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Life Cycle

provided by Animal Diversity Web

See Reproduction.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Conservation Status

provided by Animal Diversity Web

No species of mongoose is known to be threatened or endangered (The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens).

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Behavior

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Untitled

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Meerkats are also known as Suricates or slender-tailed mongooses.

The Honolulu Zoo houses only male meerkats. This is to ensure no possibility of an escaped group to establish a breeding population. If this were to occur, they could seriously damage the natural ecosystem (Honolulu Zoo, 2001).

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Reproduction

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Reports from captivity indicate that there is no elaborate precopulatory display. Males initiate copulation by fighting with the female. If the female resists his attempts to mount her, the male will grip her by the nape until she is submissive. During mating, the male grips the female around the middle to maintain his position until copulation has ended (van Staaden, 1994).

Mating System: cooperative breeder

Females typically breed at about 24 months of age (Clutton-Brock et al., 1999). The breeding season is extended in meerkats when conditions are favorable. In addition, females exhibit no synchrony of estrous, mating, or birth (van Staaden 1994). Therefore, the pack can produce young throughout the year. In the wild, however, births occur most often during the rainy, warmer part of the year from August through March (Estes, 1991; van Staaden, 1994). Breeding may stop during times of drought (Clutton-Brock et al., 1999). Gestation has been reported to be approximately 11 weeks (van Staaden, 1994). In captivity, Meerkats have been known to give birth to 11 litters in 31 months (van Staaden, 1994). In the wild, the average litter size is 3 offspring and females can have up to 3 litters per year (Estes, 1991).

Young are altricial, with ears and eyes closed. They are unable to urinate or defecate without stimulation from their mother. Ears open at about 10 days of age, and eyes at 10-14 days. Young are weaned between 49 and 63 days of age. Meerkats become sexually mature around 1 year of age (van Staaden, 1994).

Breeding season: Although individual females are highly seasonal breeders, within any population of meerkats there are always reproductive females to be found.

Average number of offspring: 3.

Average gestation period: 11 weeks.

Range weaning age: 49 to 63 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous

Average birth mass: 29 g.

Average gestation period: 77 days.

Average number of offspring: 4.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male:
365 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female:
365 days.

As in all mammals, the mother provides the offspring with milk. Young mothers carry their young by picking them up any which-way, whereas older, experienced mothers always carry young by the nape of the neck. The father meerkat may take an active role in parental care by guarding the young. Because of the highly social nature of meerkats, nonbreeding individuals are often part of the pack. These nonbreeders act as helpers, guarding and provisioning the young (van Staaden, 1994).

Parental Investment: altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Fuehrer, T. 2003. "Suricata suricatta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html
author
Tammy Fuehrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
editor
Chris Yahnke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Meerkat

provided by wikipedia EN

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 head-and-body length is around 24–35 cm (9.4–13.8 in), and the weight is typically between 0.62 and 0.97 kg (1.4 and 2.1 lb). The coat is light grey to yellowish-brown with alternate, poorly-defined light and dark bands on the back. Meerkats have foreclaws adapted for digging and have the ability to thermoregulate to survive in their harsh, dry habitat. Three subspecies are recognised.

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. There is a social hierarchy—generally dominant individuals in a pack breed and produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate members provide altruistic care to the pups. Breeding occurs around the year, with peaks during heavy rainfall; after a gestation of 60 to 70 days, a litter of three to seven pups is born.

They live in rock crevices in stony, often calcareous areas, and in large burrow systems in plains. 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. These tunnels are around 7.5 cm (3.0 in) high at the top and wider below, and extend up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) into the ground. Burrows have moderated internal temperatures and provide a comfortable microclimate that protects meerkats in harsh weather and at extreme temperatures.

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. 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.

Commonly living in arid, open habitats with little woody vegetation, meerkats occur in southwestern Botswana, western and southern Namibia, and northern and western South Africa; the range barely extends into southwestern Angola. With no significant threats to the population, the meerkat is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Meerkats are widely depicted in television, movies and other media.

Etymology

The word 'meerkat' derives from the Dutch name for a kind of monkey, which in turn comes from the Old High German mericazza, possibly as a combination of meer ('lake') and kat ('cat'). This may be related to the similar Hindi: मर्कट (markat, or monkey), deriving from Sanskrit, though the Germanic origin of the word predates any known connections to India. The name was used for small mammals in South Africa from 1801 onward, possibly because the Dutch colonialists used the name in reference to many burrowing animals.[5][6] The native South African name for the meerkat is 'suricate', possibly deriving from the French: surikate, which in turn may have a Dutch origin. In Afrikaans the meerkat is called graatjiemeerkat or stokstertmeerkat; the term mierkatte or meerkatte can refer to both the meerkat and the yellow mongoose (Afrikaans: rooimeerkat). In colloquial Afrikaans mier means 'ant' and kat means 'cat', hence the name probably refers to the meerkat's association with termite mounds.[3][7][8]

Taxonomy

Illustration of meerkats by Robert Jacob Gordon (1777)

In 1776, Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber described a meerkat from the Cape of Good Hope, giving it the scientific name Viverra suricatta.[9] The generic name Suricata was proposed by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest in 1804, who also described a zoological specimen from the Cape of Good Hope.[10] The present scientific name Suricata suricatta was first used by Oldfield Thomas and Harold Schwann in 1905 when they described a specimen collected at Wakkerstroom. They suggested there were four local meerkat races in the Cape and Deelfontein, Grahamstown, Orange River Colony and southern Transvaal, and Klipfontein respectively.[11] Several zoological specimens were described between the late 18th and 20th centuries, of which three are recognised as valid subspecies:[3][12]

  • S. s. suricatta (Schreber, 1776) occurs in southern Namibia, southern Botswana, and South Africa.
  • S. s. majoriae Bradfield, 1936 occurs in central and northwestern Namibia.[13]
  • S. s. iona Crawford-Cabral, 1971 occurs in southwestern Angola.[14]

Phylogeny and evolution

Meerkat fossils dating back to 2.59 to 0.01 million years ago have been excavated in various locations in South Africa.[15] A 2009 phylogenetic study of the family Herpestidae split into two lineages around the Early Miocene (25.4–18.2 mya)—eusocial and solitary mongooses. The meerkat belongs to the monophyletic eusocial mongoose clade along with several other African mongooses: Crossarchus (kusimanse), Helogale (dwarf mongoose), Liberiictis (Liberian mongoose) and Mungos (banded mongoose). The solitary mongoose lineage comprises two clades including species such as Meller's mongoose (Rhynchogale melleri) and the yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata). The meerkat genetically diverged from the rest of the clade 22.6–15.6 mya. The phylogenetic relationships of the meerkat are depicted as follows:[16]

Herpestidae eusocial

Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) Carlos Guilherme Rodrigues (76515213).jpeg

Banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) Zebramanguste01.jpg

Liberian mongoose (Liberiictis kuhni)

Helogale

Common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) Zwergmanguste 2007-05-13 052.jpg

Ethiopian dwarf mongoose (Helogale hirtula)

Crossarchus

Common kusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus) Crossarchus obscurus Plzen zoo 02.2011.jpg

Alexander's kusimanse (Crossarchus alexandri)

solitary

Ichneumia, Cynictis, Paracynictis, Rhynchogale, Bdeogale, Galerella and Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)

Asian Herpestes, long-nosed mongoose (H. naso) and marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus)

Characteristics

Close view of a meerkat. Note the banded pattern, the big eye circles and the thin tail.
The sharp, curved foreclaws are adapted for digging.
Skull of a meerkat

The meerkat is a small mongoose of slim build characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail and a brindled coat pattern. It is smaller than most other mongooses except the dwarf mongooses (genus Helogale) and possibly Galerella species.[3] The head-and-body length is around 24–35 cm (9.4–13.8 in), and the weight has been recorded to be between 0.62–0.97 kg (1.4–2.1 lb) without much variation between the sexes (though some dominant females can be heavier than the rest).[3][12] The soft coat is light grey to yellowish brown with alternate, poorly-defined light and dark bands on the back. Individuals from the southern part of the range tend to be darker. The guard hairs, light at the base, have two dark rings and are tipped with black or silvery white; several such hairs aligned together give rise to the coat pattern.[3][17] These hairs are typically between 1.5 and 2 cm (0.59 and 0.79 in), but measure 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) on the flanks. Its head is mostly white and the underparts are covered sparsely with dark reddish-brown fur, with the dark skin underneath showing through.[12][18] The eyes, in sockets covering over 20% of the skull length, are capable of binocular vision.[3][19] The slim, yellowish tail, unlike the bushy tails of many other mongooses, measures 17 to 25 cm (6.7 to 9.8 in), and is tipped with black. Females have six nipples.[3] The meerkat looks similar to two sympatric species—the banded and the yellow mongooses. The meerkat can be told apart from the banded mongoose by its smaller size, shorter tail and bigger eyes relative to the head; the yellow mongoose differs in having a bushy tail and lighter coat with an inner layer of yellow fur under the normal brown fur.[12]

The meerkat has 36 teeth with the dental formula of 3.1.3.23.1.3.2.[3][12] It is well adapted for digging, movement through tunnels and standing erect, though it is not as capable of running and climbing. The big, sharp and curved foreclaws (slightly longer than the hindclaws) are highly specialised among the feliforms, and enable the meerkat to dig efficiently.[3][20] The black, crescent-like ears can be closed to prevent the entry of dirt and debris while digging. The tail is used to balance when standing upright.[3] Digitigrade, the meerkat has four digits on each foot with thick pads underneath.[12]

The meerkat has a specialised thermoregulation system that helps it survive in its harsh desert habitat. A study showed that its body temperature follows a diurnal rhythm, averaging 38.3 °C (100.9 °F) during the day and 36.3 °C (97.3 °F) at night.[21] As the body temperature falls below the thermoneutral zone, determined to be 30–32.5 °C (86.0–90.5 °F), the heart rate and oxygen consumption plummet; perspiration increases sharply at temperatures above this range. Additionally, it has a basal metabolic rate remarkably lower than other carnivores, which helps in conserving water, surviving on lower amounts of food and decreasing heat output from metabolic processes. During winter, it balances heat loss by increasing the metabolic heat generation and other methods such as sunbathing.[3][12][21]

Ecology and behaviour

A pack of meerkats
Huddling together for warmth

The meerkat is a social mammal, forming packs of two to 30 individuals each comprising nearly equal numbers of either sex and multiple family units of pairs and their offspring. Members of a pack take turns at jobs such as looking after pups and keeping a lookout for predators.[22] Meerkats are a cooperatively breeding species—typically the dominant 'breeders' in a pack produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate 'helpers' provide altruistic care for the pups. This division of labour is not as strictly defined as it is in specialised eusocial species, such as the breeder-worker distinction in ants.[23] Moreover, meerkats have a clear dominance hierarchy with older individuals having a higher social status.[18][22] A study showed that dominant individuals can contribute more to offspring care when fewer helpers were available; subordinate members increased their contributions if they could forage better.[23]

Packs live in rock crevices in stony areas and in large burrow systems in plains. A pack generally occupies a home range, 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) large on average but sometimes as big as 15 km2 (5.8 sq mi), containing many burrows 50 to 100 m (160 to 330 ft) apart, of which some remain unused.[22] A 2019 study showed that large burrows towards the centre of a range are preferred over smaller ones located near the periphery; this was especially the case with packs that had pups to raise. A pack may shift to another burrow if the dominant female has little success finding prey in an area.[24] The area near the periphery of home ranges is scent marked mostly by the dominant individuals; there are communal latrines, 1 km2 (0.39 sq mi) large, close to the burrows.[22] Packs can migrate collectively in search of food, to escape high predator pressure and during floods.[3]

Auckland Zoo, 2018, close up of a Meerkat in lookout position

Meerkats are highly vigilant, and frequently survey their surroundings by turning their heads side to side; some individuals always stand sentry and look out for danger. Vocal communication is used frequently in different contexts; for instance repetitive, high-pitched barks are used to warn others of predators nearby.[3][25] They will generally retreat to their burrows for safety, where they will remain until the danger is gone. They stick their heads out of burrows to check the area outside, still barking. Mobs of meerkats fiercely attack snakes that may come near them.[22] Raptors such as bateleurs, martial eagles, tawny eagles, and pale chanting goshawks are major aerial predators; on the ground, meerkats may be threatened by bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackals, and Cape foxes.[12][22]

Social behaviour

Encounters between members of different packs are highly aggressive, leading to severe injuries and often deaths; 19% of meerkats die by conspecific violence, which is the highest recorded percentage among mammals.[26] Females, often the heaviest ones, try to achieve dominance over the rest in many ways such as fierce competition or taking over from the leader of the pack.[18][22] A study showed that females who grew faster were more likely to assert dominance, though males did not show such a trend.[27] Males seeking dominance over groups tend to scent mark extensively and are not submissive; they often drive out older males in a group and take over the pack themselves.[22] Subordinate individuals face difficulties in breeding successfully; for instance, dominant females often kill the litters of subordinate ones. As such, subordinate individuals might disperse to other packs to find mates during the breeding season.[28][29] Some subordinate meerkats will even kill the pups of dominant members in order to improve their own offspring's position.[30] It can take days for emigrants to secure entry into other packs, and they often face aversion from the members. Males typically succeed in joining existing groups; they often inspect other packs and their burrow systems in search of breeding opportunities. Many often team up in 'coalitions' for as long as two months and travel nearly 5 km (3.1 mi) a day on twisted paths.[31][22] Dispersal appears to be less common in females, possibly because continuing to stay within a pack can eventually win them dominance over other members.[22] Dispersed females travel longer than coalitions, and tend to start groups of their own or join other similar females; they aim for groups of emigrant males or those without a breeding female. Subordinate females, unlike subordinate males, might be ousted from their packs, especially in the latter part of the dominant female's pregnancy, though they may be allowed to return after the birth of the pups.[12][22]

Burrowing

A meerkat sitting close to openings of a warren

Meerkat burrows are typically 5 m (16 ft) in diameter with around 15 openings, though one of dimensions 25 by 32 m (82 by 105 ft) with as many as 90 holes has been reported. These large underground networks comprise two to three levels of tunnels up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) into the ground; the tunnels, around 7.5 cm (3.0 in) high at the top, become broader after descending around a metre. The entrances, 15 cm (5.9 in) in diameter, are created by digging at an angle of 40 degrees to the surface; the soil accumulated as a result can slightly increase the height of burrow sites. 'Boltholes' are used for a quick escape if dangers are detected.[3][18] While constructing or renovating burrows meerkats will line up to form a continuous head-to-tail chain, break the soil into crumbs with their foreclaws, scoop it out with their forepaws joined and throw it behind them between their hindlegs.[22]

Outside temperatures are not reflected at once within burrows; instead there is usually an eight-hour lag which creates a temperature gradient in warrens, so that burrows are coolest in daytime and warmest at night.[3][12] Temperatures inside burrows typically vary between 21 and 39 °C (70 and 102 °F) in summer and −4 and 26 °C (25 and 79 °F) in winter; temperatures at greater depths vary to a much lesser extent, with summer temperatures around 22.6 to 23.2 °C (72.7 to 73.8 °F) and winter temperatures around 10 to 10.8 °C (50.0 to 51.4 °F). This reduces the need for meerkats to thermoregulate individually by providing a comfortable microclimate within burrows; moreover, burrowing protects meerkats in harsh weather and at extreme temperatures.[3][12] Consequently, meerkats spend considerable time in burrows; they are active mainly during the day and return to burrows after dark and often to escape the heat of the afternoon.[3][12] Activity peaks during the early morning and late afternoon.[22] Meerkats huddle together to sleep in compact groups, sunbathe and recline on warm rocks or damp soil to adjust their body temperatures.[12]

Meerkats tend to occupy the burrows of other small mammals more than constructing them on their own; they generally share burrows with Cape ground squirrels and yellow mongooses. Cape ground squirrels and meerkats usually do not fight for space or food. Though yellow mongooses are also insectivores like meerkats, competition for prey is minimal as yellow mongooses are less selective in their diet. This association is beneficial to all the species as it saves time and efforts spent in making separate warrens. Many other species have also been recorded in the meerkat burrows, including African pygmy mice, Cape grey mongooses, four-striped grass mice, Highveld gerbils, rock hyraxes, slender mongooses, South African springhares and white-tailed rats.[3][25]

Vocalisations

Calls of meerkats (above) and banded mongooses (below)[32]

Meerkats have a broad vocal repertoire that they use to communicate among one another in several contexts; many of these calls may be combined by repetition of the same call or mixing different sounds. A study recorded 12 different types of call combinations used in different situations such as guarding against predators, caring for young, digging, sunbathing, huddling together and aggression.[33]

Short-range 'close calls' are produced while foraging and after scanning the vicinity for predators.[34] 'Recruitment calls' can be produced to collect meerkats on sighting a snake or to investigate excrement or hair samples of predators or unfamiliar meerkats. 'Alarm calls' are given out on detecting predators. All these calls differ in their acoustic characteristics, and can evoke different responses in the 'receivers' (meerkats who hear the call); generally the greater the urgency of the scenario in which the call is given, the stronger is the response in the receivers.[35]

This indicates that meerkats are able to perceive the nature of the risk and the degree of urgency from the acoustics of a call, transmit it and respond accordingly.[35] For instance, upon hearing a terrestrial predator alarm call, meerkats are most likely to scan the area and move towards the source of the call, while an aerial predator alarm call would most likely cause them to crouch down.[35] A recruitment call would cause receivers to raise their tails (and often their hair) and move slowly towards the source.[35][36][37]

The complexity of calls produced by different mongooses varies by their social structure and ecology. For instance eusocial mongooses such as meerkats and banded mongooses use calls in a greater variety of contexts than do the solitary slender mongooses. Moreover, meerkats have more call types than do banded mongooses.[38] Meerkat calls carry information to identify the signaling individual or pack, but meerkats do not appear to differentiate between calls from different sources.[39][40] The calls of banded mongooses also carry a 'vocal signature' to identify the caller.[32]

Diet

Eating a frog

The meerkat is primarily an insectivore, feeding heavily on beetles and lepidopterans; it can additionally feed on eggs, amphibians, arthropods (such as scorpions, to whose venom they are immune), reptiles, small birds (such as the southern anteater-chat), plants and seeds. Captive meerkats include plenty of fruits and vegetables in their diet, and also kill small mammals by biting the backs of their skulls.[3][22] They have also been observed feeding on the desert truffle Kalaharituber pfeilii.[41] Meerkats often eat citron melons and dig out roots and tubers for their water content.[3]

Mongooses spend nearly five to eight hours foraging every day. Like other social mongooses, meerkats in a pack will disperse within 5 m (16 ft) of one another and browse systematically in areas within their home range without losing visual or vocal contact. Some individuals stand sentry while the rest are busy foraging. Meerkats return to an area only after a week of the last visit so that the food supply is replenished sufficiently. They hunt by scent, and often dig out soil or turn over stones to uncover hidden prey. Meerkats typically do not give chase to their prey, though they may pursue geckos and lizards over several metres.[3][22] Food intake is typically low during winter.[12]

Reproduction

Meerkat pups
Meerkats mating in Perth Zoo

Meerkats breed throughout the year with seasonal peaks, typically during months of heavy rainfall; for instance, maximum births occur from January to March in the southern Kalahari. Generally only dominant individuals breed, though subordinate members can also mate in highly productive years. Females become sexually mature at two to three years of age. Dominant females can have up to four litters annually (lesser for subordinate females), and the number depends on the amount of precipitation. Mating behaviour has been studied in captive individuals. Courtship behaviour is limited; the male fights with his partner, getting hold of her by her snout. He will grip the nape of her neck if she resists mounting, and hold her down by grasping her flanks during copulation.[12][22]

After a gestation of 60 to 70 days, a litter of three to seven pups is born. Pups weigh around 100 g (3.5 oz) in the first few days of birth; the average growth rate for the first three months is 4.5 g (0.16 oz) per day, typically the fastest in the first month.[12] A 2019 study showed that growth and survival rates of pups might decrease with increase in temperature.[42]

Infants make continuous sounds that resemble bird-like tweets, that change to a shrill contact call as they grow older. Young pups are kept securely in a den, from where they emerge after around 16 days, and start foraging with adults by 26 days. The nonbreeding members of the pack help substantially with juvenile care, for instance they feed the pups and huddle with them for warmth.[12][22] A study showed that nearly half of the litters of dominant females, especially those born later in the breeding season were nursed by subordinate females, mostly those that were or recently had been pregnant.[43]

Sex biases have been observed in feeding; for instance, female helpers feed female pups more than male pups unlike male helpers who feed both equally. This is possibly because the survival of female pups is more beneficial to female helpers as females are more likely to remain in their natal pack.[12][22] Some helpers contribute to all activities more than others, though none of them might be specialised in any of them.[44] Sometimes helpers favour their own needs over those of pups and decide not to feed them; this behaviour, known as "false-feeding", is more common when the prey is more valued by the meerkat.[45]

The father remains on guard and protects his offspring, while the mother spends a lot of time foraging to produce enough milk for her young. Mothers give out shrill, repetitive calls to ensure their pups follow them and remain close together.[12][22] Unable to forage themselves, young pups vocalise often seeking food from their carers.[46] Like many species, meerkat pups learn by observing and mimicking adult behaviour, though adults also engage in active instruction. For example, meerkat adults teach their pups how to eat a venomous scorpion by removing the stinger and showing the pups how to handle the creature.[47] The mother runs around with prey in her mouth, prompting her pups to catch it.[3] Pups become independent enough to forage at around 12 weeks of age.[22] Meerkats are estimated to survive for five to 15 years in the wild; the maximum lifespan recorded in captivity is 20.6 years.[12]

Females appear to be able to discriminate the odour of their kin from that of others.[48] Kin recognition is a useful ability that facilitates cooperation among relatives and the avoidance of inbreeding. When mating occurs between meerkat relatives it often results in negative fitness consequences (inbreeding depression), that affect a variety of traits such as pup mass at emergence from the natal burrow, hindleg length, growth until independence and juvenile survival.[49] These negative effects are likely due to the increased homozygosity or higher genetic similarity among individuals that arise from inbreeding and the consequent expression of deleterious recessive mutations.[50]

Distribution and habitat

Meerkats prefer areas with short grasses.

The meerkat occurs in southwestern Botswana, western and southern Namibia, northern and western South Africa; the range barely extends into southwestern Angola.[2] It lives in areas with stony, often calcareous ground in a variety of arid, open habitats with little woody vegetation. It is common in savannahs, open plains and rocky areas beside dry rivers in biomes such as the Fynbos and the Karoo, where the mean yearly rainfall is below 600 mm (24 in). The average precipitation reduces to 100 to 400 mm (3.9 to 15.7 in) towards the northwestern areas of the range. It prefers areas with short grasses and shrubs common in velds, such as camelthorn in Namibia and Acacia in the Kalahari. It is absent from true deserts, montane regions and forests.[3][12][22] Population densities vary greatly between places, and are significantly influenced by predators and rainfall.[51] For instance, a study in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, where predation pressure is high, recorded a lower mean meerkat density relative to a ranch with lower occurrence of predators; in response to a 10% decrease in rainfall over a year, the density fell from 0.95 to 0.32/km2 (2.46 to 0.83/sq mi).[12]

Threats and conservation

The meerkat is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List; the population trend appears to be stable.[2] There are no significant threats except low rainfall, which can lead to deaths of entire packs. Research has shown that temperature extremes have negative impacts on Kalahari Desert meerkats.[42][52] Increased maximum air temperature is correlated with decreased survival and body mass in pups, perhaps as a result of dehydration from water loss during evaporative cooling or decreased water content in food, or from the heavier metabolic costs of thermoregulation on hot days.[42] Higher temperatures are also associated with increased rates of endemic tuberculosis infection; this may be due to decreased immune function resulting from physiological stress, as well as increased male emigration rates observed during heat waves.[52]

Meerkats occur in several protected areas such as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Makgadikgadi Pan.[12] The Kalahari Meerkat Project, founded by Tim Clutton-Brock, is a long-term research project run by four different research groups that focuses on understanding cooperative behaviour in meerkats. It began in the Gemsbok National Park but was shifted to the Kuruman River Reserve in 1993.[53]

In culture

Meerkats are generally tame animals.[3] However, they are unsuitable as a pet as they can be aggressive and have a strong, ferret-like odour.[54] In South Africa meerkats are used to kill rodents in rural households and lepidopterans in farmlands. Meerkats can transmit rabies to humans, but yellow mongooses appear to be more common vectors. It has been suggested that meerkats may even limit the spread of rabies by driving out yellow mongooses from their burrows; meerkats are generally not persecuted given their economic significance in crop protection, though they may be killed due to rabies control measures to eliminate yellow mongooses. Meerkats can also spread tick-borne diseases.[3]

Meerkats have been widely portrayed in movies, television and other media. A popular example is Timon from the Lion King franchise, who is an anthropomorphic meerkat.[55] Meerkat Manor (2005–2008), a television programme produced by Oxford Scientific Films that was aired on Animal Planet, focused on groups of meerkats in the Kalahari that were being studied in the Kalahari Meerkat Project.[56] Meerkats populated an acidic floating island in the 2012 film Life of Pi.[57]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Fossilworks: Suricata".
  2. ^ a b c d Jordan, N.R. & Do Linh San, E. (2015). "Suricata suricatta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T41624A45209377. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41624A45209377.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Van Staaden, M. J. (1994). "Suricata suricatta" (PDF). Mammalian Species (483): 1–8. doi:10.2307/3504085. JSTOR 3504085. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2016.
  4. ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Genus Suricata". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 571. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  5. ^ Harper, Douglas. "meerkat". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Meerkat". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Suricate". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  8. ^ Moller, L. A. (2017). Of the Same Breath: Indigenous Animal and Place Names. Bloemfontein: Sun Media. pp. 124–126. ISBN 978-1-928424-03-1.
  9. ^ Schreber, J. C. D. (1776). "Viverra suricata". Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen [The Mammals in Illustrations according to Nature, with Descriptions] (in German). Erlangen: Expedition des Schreber'schen Säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes. p. CVII.
  10. ^ Desmarest, A. G. (1804). "Genre Surikate, Suricata Nob.". In Deterville, J. F. P. (ed.). Nouveau dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle appliquée aux arts : principalement à l'agriculture et à l'économie rurale et domestique. Vol. 24. Paris: Deterville. p. 15.
  11. ^ Thomas, O. & Schwann, H. (1905). "The Rudd exploration of South Africa.—II. List of mammals from the Wakkerstroom district, south-eastern Transvaal". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 75 (1): 129–138. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1905.tb08370.x.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Macdonald, D. W. (2014). "Suricata suricatta Meerkat (Suricate)". In Kingdon, J.; Happold, D.; Hoffmann, M.; Butynski, T.; Happold, M.; Kalina, J. (eds.). Mammals of Africa. Vol. V–Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses. Bloomsbury. pp. 347–352. ISBN 978-1-4081-8994-8.
  13. ^ Bradfield, R.D. (1936). "Description of new races of Kalahari birds and mammals". The Auk. 53 (1): 131–132. JSTOR 4077422.
  14. ^ Crawford-Cabral, J. (1971). "A Suricata do Iona, subspécie nova" [Iona's meerkat, new subspecies]. Boletim do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Angola (in Portuguese). 8: 65–83.
  15. ^ "Suricata suricatta Schreber 1776 (meerkat)". Fossilworks (Gateway to Paleobiology Database). Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  16. ^ Patou, M.; Mclenachan, P. A.; Morley, C. G.; Couloux, A.; Jennings, A. P.; Veron, G. (2009). "Molecular phylogeny of the Herpestidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) with a special emphasis on the Asian Herpestes". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 53 (1): 69–80. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.038. PMID 19520178.
  17. ^ Hunter, L.; Barrett, P. (2018). A Field Guide to the Carnivores of the World (2nd ed.). London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-4729-5080-2.
  18. ^ a b c d Nowak, R. M. (2005). Walker's Carnivores of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 219–221. ISBN 978-0-8018-8033-9.
  19. ^ Miller, S. S. (2007). "Marvelous mammal eyes". All Kinds of Eyes. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 37–46. ISBN 978-0-7614-2519-9.
  20. ^ Mares, M. A. (1999). "Meerkat". In Mares, M. A. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Deserts. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 351. ISBN 978-0-8061-3146-7.
  21. ^ a b Müller, E. F. & Lojewski, U. (1986). "Thermoregulation in the meerkat (Suricata suricatta Schreber, 1776)". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology. 83 (2): 217–224. doi:10.1016/0300-9629(86)90564-5. PMID 2869862.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Skinner, J. D.; Chimimba, C. T. (2005). van der Horst, D. (ed.). The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Cambridge University Press. pp. 428–432. ISBN 978-0521844185.
  23. ^ a b Clutton-Brock, T. H.; Russell, A. F.; Sharpe, L. L. (2004). "Behavioural tactics of breeders in cooperative meerkats". Animal Behaviour. 68 (5): 1029–1040. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.10.024. S2CID 53175143.
  24. ^ Strandburg-Peshkin, A.; Clutton-Brock, T.; Manser, M. B.; Smiseth, P. (2019). "Burrow usage patterns and decision-making in meerkat groups". Behavioral Ecology. 31 (2): 292–302. doi:10.1093/beheco/arz190.
  25. ^ a b Rafferty, J. P., ed. (2011). "Mongooses and meerkats". Carnivores. Britannica Educational Publishing. pp. 167–174. ISBN 978-1-61530-385-4.
  26. ^ Gómez, José María; Verdú, Miguel; González-Megías, Adela; Méndez, Marcos (2016). "The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence". Nature. 538 (7624): 233–237. Bibcode:2016Natur.538..233G. doi:10.1038/nature19758. PMID 27680701. S2CID 4454927.
  27. ^ English, S.; Huchard, E.; Nielsen, J. F.; Clutton-Brock, T. H. (2013). "Early growth, dominance acquisition and lifetime reproductive success in male and female cooperative meerkats". Ecology and Evolution. 3 (13): 4401–4407. doi:10.1002/ece3.820. PMC 3856740. PMID 24340181.
  28. ^ Griffin, A. S. (2003). "A genetic analysis of breeding success in the cooperative meerkat (Suricata suricatta)". Behavioral Ecology. 14 (4): 472–480. doi:10.1093/beheco/arg040.
  29. ^ Young, A. J.; Spong, G. & Clutton-Brock, T. (2007). "Subordinate male meerkats prospect for extra-group paternity: alternative reproductive tactics in a cooperative mammal". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 274 (1618): 1603–1609. doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.0316. PMC 2169281. PMID 17456454.
  30. ^ Young, A. J. & Clutton-Brock, T. (2006). "Infanticide by subordinates influences reproductive sharing in cooperatively breeding meerkats". Biology Letters. 2 (3): 385–387. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0463. PMC 1686192. PMID 17148410.
  31. ^ Doolan, S. P.; Macdonald, D. W. (1996). "Dispersal and extra-territorial prospecting by slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta) in the south-western Kalahari". Journal of Zoology. 240 (1): 59–73. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1996.tb05486.x.
  32. ^ a b Fitch, W. T. (2012). "Segmental structure in banded mongoose calls". BMC Biology. 10 (1): 98. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-10-98. PMC 3514197. PMID 23206277.
  33. ^ Collier, K.; Townsend, S. W.; Manser, M. B. (2017). "Call concatenation in wild meerkats" (PDF). Animal Behaviour. 134: 257–269. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.014. S2CID 54376816.
  34. ^ Townsend, S. W.; Zöttl, M.; Manser, M. B. (2011). "All clear? Meerkats attend to contextual information in close calls to coordinate vigilance" (PDF). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 65 (10): 1927–1934. doi:10.1007/s00265-011-1202-6. S2CID 21919122.
  35. ^ a b c d Manser, M. B.; Bell, M. B.; Fletcher, L. B. (2001). "The information that receivers extract from alarm calls in suricates". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. 268 (1484): 2485–2491. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1772. PMC 1088904. PMID 11747568.
  36. ^ Manser, Marta; Fletcher, Lindsay (2004). "Vocalize to localize: A test on functionally referential alarm calls". Interaction Studies. 5 (3): 327–344. doi:10.1075/is.5.3.02man.
  37. ^ Townsend, S. W.; Charlton, B. D.; Manser, M. B. (2014). "Acoustic cues to identity and predator context in meerkat barks" (PDF). Animal Behaviour. 94: 143–149. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.021. S2CID 53203111.
  38. ^ Manser, M. B.; Jansen, D. A. W. A. M.; Graw, B.; Hollén, L. I.; Bousquet, C. A. H.; Furrer, R. D.; le Roux, A. (2014). "Vocal complexity in meerkats and other mongoose species". In Naguib, M.; Barrett, L.; Brockmann, H. J.; Healy, S.; Mitani, J. C.; Roper, T. J.; Simmons, L. W. (eds.). Advances in the Study of Behavior. Vol. 46. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 281–310. ISBN 978-0-12-800286-5.
  39. ^ Schibler, F.; Manser, M. B. (2007). "The irrelevance of individual discrimination in meerkat alarm calls". Animal Behaviour. 74 (5): 1259–1268. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.02.026. S2CID 54420743.
  40. ^ Townsend, S. W.; Hollén, L. I.; Manser, M. B. (2010). "Meerkat close calls encode group-specific signatures, but receivers fail to discriminate" (PDF). Animal Behaviour. 80 (1): 133–138. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.04.010. S2CID 53172749.
  41. ^ Trappe, J. M.; Claridge, A. W.; Arora, D. & Smit, W. A. (2008). "Desert truffles of the Kalahari: ecology, ethnomycology and taxonomy". Economic Botany. 62 (3): 521–529. doi:10.1007/s12231-008-9027-6. S2CID 34319584.
  42. ^ a b c Van de Ven, T. M. F. N.; Fuller, A.; Clutton‐Brock, T. H.; White, Craig (2019). "Effects of climate change on pup growth and survival in a cooperative mammal, the meerkat". Functional Ecology. 34 (1): 194–202. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13468.
  43. ^ MacLeod, K. J.; Nielsen, J. F.; Clutton-Brock, T.H. (2013). "Factors predicting the frequency, likelihood and duration of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding meerkat". Animal Behaviour. 86 (5): 1059–1067. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.912.2106. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.012. S2CID 53152234.
  44. ^ Clutton-Brock, T. H.; Russell, A. F.; Sharpe, L. L. (2003). "Meerkat helpers do not specialize in particular activities" (PDF). Animal Behaviour. 66 (3): 531–540. doi:10.1006/anbe.2003.2209. S2CID 53149068. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2019.
  45. ^ Clutton-Brock, T. H.; Russell, A. F.; Sharpe, L. L.; Jordan, N. R. (2005). "'False feeding' and aggression in meerkat societies". Animal Behaviour. 69 (6): 1273–1284. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.10.006. S2CID 53176898.
  46. ^ Manser, M. B.; Avey, G. (2000). "The effect of pup vocalisations on food allocation in a cooperative mammal, the meerkat (Suricata suricatta)". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 48 (6): 429–437. doi:10.1007/s002650000248. S2CID 24246321.
  47. ^ Thornton, A.; McAuliffe, K. (2006). "Teaching in wild meerkats" (PDF). Science. 313 (5784): 227–229. Bibcode:2006Sci...313..227T. doi:10.1126/science.1128727. PMID 16840701. S2CID 11490465. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2020.
  48. ^ Leclaire S.; Nielsen, J.F.; Thavarajah, N.K.; Manser, M. & Clutton-Brock, T.H. (2013). "Odour-based kin discrimination in the cooperatively breeding meerkat". Biological Letters. 9 (1): 20121054. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2012.1054. PMC 3565530. PMID 23234867.
  49. ^ Nielsen, J. F.; English, S.; Goodall-Copestake, W. P.; Wang, J.; Walling, C. A.; Bateman, A. W.; Flower, T. P.; Sutcliffe, R. L.; Samson, J.; Thavarajah, N. K.; Kruuk, L. E.; Clutton-Brock, T. H. & Pemberton, J. M. (2012). "Inbreeding and inbreeding depression of early life traits in a cooperative mammal". Molecular Ecology. 21 (11): 2788–804. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05565.x. hdl:2263/19269. PMID 22497583. S2CID 36059683.
  50. ^ Bernstein, H.; Byerly, H. C.; Hopf, F. A. & Michod, R. E. (1985). "Genetic damage, mutation, and the evolution of sex". Science. 229 (4719): 1277–1281. Bibcode:1985Sci...229.1277B. doi:10.1126/science.3898363. PMID 3898363.
  51. ^ Dyble, M.; Houslay, T. M.; Manser, M. B.; Clutton-Brock, T. (2019). "Intergroup aggression in meerkats". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 286 (1917): 20191993. doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.1993. PMC 6939929. PMID 31847765.
  52. ^ a b Paniw, M.; Duncan, C.; Groenewoud, F.; Drewe, J. A.; Manser, M.; Ozgul, A.; Clutton-Brock, T. (2022). "Higher temperature extremes exacerbate negative disease effects in a social mammal". Nature Climate Change. 12 (3): 284–290. Bibcode:2022NatCC..12..284P. doi:10.1038/s41558-022-01284-x. ISSN 1758-678X. S2CID 246636557.
  53. ^ "KMP research". Kalahari Meerkat Project. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  54. ^ "Meerkat adverts lead to surge in unwanted pets". BBC. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  55. ^ Sweeney, G. (2013). ""What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?": Timon and Pumbaa's alternative lifestyle dilemma in The Lion King". In Cheu, J. (ed.). Diversity in Disney Films: Critical Essays on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and Disability. Jefferson, North Carolina: MacFarland & Co. pp. 129–146. ISBN 978-0-7864-4601-8.
  56. ^ "A Family Affair". Meerkat Manor. Series 1. Episode 1.1.
  57. ^ Faunce, T. (2013). "Life of Pi's acidic island a warning for our warming world". The Conversation. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Meerkat: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

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 head-and-body length is around 24–35 cm (9.4–13.8 in), and the weight is typically between 0.62 and 0.97 kg (1.4 and 2.1 lb). The coat is light grey to yellowish-brown with alternate, poorly-defined light and dark bands on the back. Meerkats have foreclaws adapted for digging and have the ability to thermoregulate to survive in their harsh, dry habitat. Three subspecies are recognised.

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. There is a social hierarchy—generally dominant individuals in a pack breed and produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate members provide altruistic care to the pups. Breeding occurs around the year, with peaks during heavy rainfall; after a gestation of 60 to 70 days, a litter of three to seven pups is born.

They live in rock crevices in stony, often calcareous areas, and in large burrow systems in plains. 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. These tunnels are around 7.5 cm (3.0 in) high at the top and wider below, and extend up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) into the ground. Burrows have moderated internal temperatures and provide a comfortable microclimate that protects meerkats in harsh weather and at extreme temperatures.

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. 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.

Commonly living in arid, open habitats with little woody vegetation, meerkats occur in southwestern Botswana, western and southern Namibia, and northern and western South Africa; the range barely extends into southwestern Angola. With no significant threats to the population, the meerkat is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Meerkats are widely depicted in television, movies and other media.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN