Rodents meerkats. Meerkats at home

Classification

View: meerkat

Squad: predatory

Type: chordates

Family: civets

Subfamily: mongoose

Class: mammals

Dimensions: body length: 17.5 - 25 cm; body weight: from 700 to 1200 g

Lifespan: from 10 to 12.5 years

An animal standing at attention, warily looking into the distance - this is how we often see meerkats in photos.

Cool and cute, these animals make you want to pet them and scratch them behind the ears.

Meerkat families have strict orders. In addition, they hunt quite serious prey.

Since these animals are easy to tame, some African tribes they are used as “protection” from rodents, poisonous insects and reptiles

Habitat

Meerkats, or thin-tailed micartas, have chosen almost the entire south of Africa - its arid steppes, half-deserts and deserts.

At the same time, the funny and wary face of this animal can be seen in the Lake Chad region, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and in the foothills of the Cape of Good Hope.

Since it is not difficult to tame meerkats, some African tribes use them as “guard” against rodents like, poisonous insects and reptiles.

Interesting! The aborigines nicknamed the meerkat “sun angel”. When an animal stands in the rays of the sun, its hard, bristling fur seems to glow. In southern Africa they believe that this animal can protect homes from werewolves - “moon devils”.

Characteristic

Meerkats are small representatives of the mongoose species. You can even see some resemblance to an elongated body.

Females are usually larger than males, and matriarchy reigns in the family of these animals.

The main principle of the existence of a pack is collectivism - animals hunt, eat, and rest together.

Together, meerkats, whose photos make one smile involuntarily, can carry out quite serious combat operations.

A flock of these cute little animals successfully hunts prey that is much larger than them.

Although meerkats, like mongooses, can professionally fight snakes, deftly dodging their bites, furry animals do not show much zeal in hunting these reptiles.

They prefer to catch smaller or safer prey.

Appearance

The fur with which the meerkat is covered, the photos clearly demonstrate, is sparse and coarse, brown, reddish or grayish with yellowish tints.

The back is decorated with clearly visible dark transverse stripes, their number may vary.

Light fur is visible on the paws and tummy, and completely whitish on the front of the neck, chin, lips and cheeks.

The tip of the tail and ears are black, and the mask on the large round eyes is the same color.

The color of the iris is most often brown, sometimes it has a steely, silvery tint.

Some animals are located in rocky areas where it is impossible to dig suitable housing for themselves. In this case, they look for a suitable cave or gorge in which they can feel safe

Key Features

As already mentioned, meerkats are not particularly fond of rushing into battle while hunting dangerous animals.

The video and description of these animals indicate that they are very careful, once again not trying to take risks.

They hunt as a whole clan, combing every centimeter of their territory.

Due to this feature, food supplies are quickly depleted, and meerkats have to migrate to another place. But it doesn't matter!

The animals take care in advance that there are 3 to 5 burrows on one and a half to three square kilometers of their property, which they periodically populate, expanding slightly due to the young animals that appear.

Interesting! Meerkats can see clearly even if there is light shining directly into their eyes. Sun rays. To protect against blinding, they have a third eyelid, so they always clearly detect approaching danger from the sky.

Some meerkats are located in rocky areas where it is impossible to dig suitable housing for themselves.

In this case, they look for a suitable cave or gorge in which they can feel safe.

The family of animals is gradually increasing, and in order to feed them, the meerkat estate needs to expand.

This means that we need to conquer new territories from our fellow tribesmen.

In such clan wars, how well the pack is united plays a big role in victory.

The animals stand in a tight row, lift their tails and try to jump as high as possible.

If the enemy does not appreciate the “scale of the tragedy,” the meerkats rush into battle.

Animals use similar tactics only when fighting their own kind.

If we're talking about about large predators that pose a threat, there is only one way out - to run.

Interesting! In the language of meerkats there are clear definitions of how close and where danger is coming from - “ground - air” or “further - closer”. Meerkat babies are first taught to perceive sounds “further - closer”, and only then to distinguish where the trouble is coming from.

the head of the family is the guardian of order and protects the young

Raising offspring

This issue is a separate topic that meerkats take very seriously.

Photos of funny and amusing cubs in which they behave carefree reflect only a small part of their life.

An important aspect for a child is the acquisition of skills correct behavior on the hunt.

After all, meerkats feed on far from the safest types of insects and reptiles. Here, raising young animals is divided into three main stages:

1. First, they are brought thoroughly tortured, half-dead or dead “food” and make sure that it is safely eaten.
2. Next, the prey is delivered to the babies more and more “alive”, less traumatized.
3. Now the young meerkat is ready to go hunting; at first he must stick with his more experienced relative.

Interesting! The entire clan takes part in the socialization and education of young meerkats. Not only their mother, but also other females take care of the newborn babies.

Reproduction

Only the dominant male and female can produce offspring in a family.

Of course, a female of lower rank can also become pregnant, but if her babies are born before the alpha’s cubs, the latter mercilessly kills them.

Moreover, after this, the failed mother calmly nurses the alpha’s babies, whom she trusts her without fear. Scientists still cannot understand this paradox.

The female can give birth to offspring a maximum of 4 times a year; a litter usually contains up to 7 babies.

General Statistics:

• gestation period – 77 days;
• the weight of the born baby is 25 - 36 g;
• milk feeding – 7 - 9 weeks;
• exit from the hole - in the third week.

Nutrition

Although meerkats are carnivores, they are, by and large, omnivores.

Fluffies feed on everything that could not escape from them - any insects and reptiles.

But if it was not possible to catch anything, the animal calmly switches to bird eggs, succulent vegetation and roots, when such are available in its place of residence.

If you keep an animal at home, you need to adhere to some rules in the meerkat diet.

Their daily homemade diet should look something like this:

• boiled chicken eggs, sprinkled with calcium gluconate powder - one;
• raw chicken breast- quarter;
• frozen or fresh zofobas, mealworms or marbled cockroaches - 10 pieces.

Raw eggs - chicken or quail - can weaken you. There must be fresh water or juice. The menu may also include minced meat, cucumbers and fruits.

As a house for a meerkat, it is better to buy a cage, which should be equipped with a UV lamp - the fluffies love to warm up.

Under supervision, the animals can be allowed to roam around the apartment. They are easy to train to relieve themselves as usual.

Interesting! Domestic meerkats love to sit on a sleeping owner and look into the distance.

You shouldn't bathe meerkats; they are terrified of water. It is better to wipe them with a soft damp cloth.

Meerkats are mammals native to South Africa. They belong to the mongoose family. Like their close relatives the mongoose, meerkats have a thin body, sharp teeth, strong nails and instant reactions.

Meerkats live in colonies. One colony can consist of up to 40 individuals. Such a colony includes: the main female and male, their offspring and young individuals adopted into the family by the leaders. Only the main female has the right to have offspring. There are cases when other females of the colony bring babies, but then the dominant female expels her or kills all the offspring.

All adults of the flock are involved in raising babies in the colony. Their older brothers teach them how to get food and cope with prey.

Family groups of meerkats often fight over territory. These battles often end with a bad result for one meerkat, and if the enemy captures the hole with the kids, they will certainly be killed.

What do meerkats eat?

Meerkats are predators. A well-developed sense of smell helps them find food under a thick layer of sand. Are eating They are mainly insects, lizards, snakes, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, bird eggs, ants. Meerkats feed near their home. While the whole family is busy searching and obtaining food, one meerkat always stands guard in order to warn the others in case of danger.

Eat like this dangerous food Like scorpions and snakes, their immunity and dexterity allow them to do so. Meerkats deal with scorpions by biting off their sting.

In search of food, an adult meerkat can dig about 400 holes in the morning.

What to feed a meerkat at home?

This animal is easily tamed and can live side by side with humans; it gets along easily with other pets, so it can be kept as a pet.

Meerkat at home can you feed the following products:

• chicken, rabbit, raw beef, boiled or dried;
• zoophobus;
• cockroaches;
• crickets;
• raw quail eggs.

From dairy products only low-fat:

• cottage cheese;
• kefir;
• yogurt;
• bio fermented baked milk.

Vegetables:

• carrot;
• zucchini;
• pumpkin;
• cabbage;
• cucumber;
• tomato;
• broccoli;
• Bell pepper.

Meerkats are small animals that resemble their appearance rodents Indeed, if you look at the photo, a meerkat can be confused with a ferret or gopher. However, they have nothing in common with rodents. This carnivorous mammals, belonging to the mongoose family. Also meerkats have a distant family connection with representatives of the mustelid family.

Meerkat against the backdrop of the setting sun.

Meerkat conversation.
The meerkat is on guard, looking out for danger.

Appearance

The meerkat is distinguished from rodents by its slightly elongated muzzle and forward-facing eyes, like those of all predators, while in rodents they are located on both sides of the head. The animal's body is covered with yellowish-gray short fur, and brown stripes are faintly visible on the meerkat's back. But in photos they are much more noticeable. The animal's height is just over 50 cm, almost half of which is due to the powerful long tail. Interestingly, the female meerkat is larger than the male, and the weight of each of them barely reaches one kilogram. The animal has everything necessary for life in sandy burrows. In particular, thanks to its strong front paws, it successfully obtains food and digs holes for arranging its home. Their eyes are well protected from sand and wind by the third eyelid, and vibrissae help them move in tangled dark tunnels. Its elastic tail and elongated body shape give it agility and speed.

Mother meerkat with baby.
A mother meerkat and her baby study a beetle.
Photographs and meerkats.

Area

Meerkats live in southern Africa. These are countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and others. Thus, the animals prefer hot, arid climates and open, sandy areas. Meerkats can also often be found in the mountains. In the first case, the animals settle in sandy burrows, in the second, they settle in mountain caves. Meerkats are not nomadic animals. Having fixed themselves in one place, they for a long time do not leave their familiar territory, fiercely protecting it from enemies and uninvited guests.

Reproduction

The reproduction process in meerkats occurs almost continuously and does not depend on the season. However, it has been noticed that they produce offspring most often during the rainy season, which lasts throughout the winter. These animals rarely search for a partner, since they prefer to mate with the same representatives of their species. Meerkats also have no mating rituals. The duration of gestation is 77 days, after which 3 to 5 cubs are born. For the first two weeks, babies are completely blind and helpless. The lactation period is about two months, then the already grown meerkats begin to leave their shelters and come under the care of their older relatives. Upon reaching one year, the cubs become sexually mature individuals. IN wildlife their lifespan is extremely short - from three to five years, but in captivity meerkats can live up to 12 years.

Lifestyle

Meerkats live in groups of 15-30 individuals, each of which is related to each other. At the head large family there is always a female. This high position is explained by the high fertility of females, which is of great importance for procreation. The remaining members of the group are engaged in serving the head of the family, which in most cases comes down to finding and arranging a home. Relationships in the group are always friendly and very strong. When it gets cold, meerkats hug each other tightly to keep warm. There is also always a sentry in the group who monitors safety and notifies others of the approaching enemy. Every day in the life of meerkats is clearly scheduled and ordered. In the morning, the animals go hunting, and after the meal they set up housing, constantly deepening old holes, and also digging new ones. After a day's work, meerkats don't mind taking a nap. They do this either in burrows or stretched out at the very entrance in the sun. In the evening, the animals again search for food, and then go to bed.

These animals look a little like monkeys, a little like raccoons, and a little like rodents. In fact, they are predators and the closest relatives of mongooses. Living in harsh conditions Kalahari meerkats feed on animals whose poison kills humans outright.

Taxonomy

Russian name - meerkat
English name- Meerkat
Latin name- Suricata suricatta
Order - carnivores (Carnivora)
Family - civets (Viverridae)
Genus - meerkat (suricata)

Status of the species in nature

The species is common in some parts of its range, although its numbers are declining due to habitat disturbance. Further human intervention in nature may cause the situation to worsen.

Species and man

Meerkats are amazingly charming little creatures that always make you smile. Africans have two beliefs associated with meerkats. According to one of them, the animals are called solar angels. And not just because they love to soak up the morning African sun. It is believed that they protect settlements and livestock from werewolf moon devils who attack people and animals (the moon devils are probably bats). In addition, by settling near huts, meerkats clear the area of ​​scorpions and even poisonous snakes, which they eat. Meerkats are easily tamed, and local residents sometimes keep them in their homes to protect their homes from poisonous animals.

According to another legend, the souls of the dead move into the meerkat, which is why these animals are so friendly to people. An animal looking around can stand on its hind legs for a long time, and from afar a group of animals warily listening to the sounds of the desert can be mistaken for crowded little people. For this they are sometimes called “little people.” And thanks to the vigilance shown by the meerkat family, they received another affectionate nickname: “desert sentries.”

Distribution and habitats

Meerkats live in arid and desert areas South Africa, west of Lake Chad, north of the river. Orange, including the Kalahari Desert. Lesov and dense thickets these animals avoid. They prefer sandy soil, in which they dig deep and branched holes - entire underground cities, sometimes going 2 meters deep. Sometimes meerkats use the abandoned burrows of the African ground squirrel. If animals settle in a mountainous area, then rocky caves serve as shelters for them.

Appearance and morphology

Small graceful animals, the smallest in the mongoose subfamily: their length is only 50–60 cm, with almost half coming from the tail, and the weight of only very large individuals reaches 1 kg. Females are slightly larger than males. Meerkats are distinguished from other mongooses by their high legs, four-toed paws, a strong tail, evenly covered along its entire length with sparse hair, and the absence of the first false root tooth. The feet of this animal are very characteristic: they are armed with long and strong claws, which, especially on the front paws, reach such a development as in no other member of the family. With the help of these powerful claws, the meerkat easily digs deep passages, obtaining food and arranging a home.

Meerkat fur is quite coarse, grayish-brown in color with a yellowish tint; against this background, eight to ten intermittent dark stripes that do not have clear outlines stand out in the back of the back. The hair on the legs is lighter, on the belly and chest it is sparse and has a silvery tint; lips, chin and cheeks whitish; the tip of the muzzle, the ring around the eyes, the ears and the tip of the tail are black. Eyes with large round pupils and brown silver-gray irises.

Meerkats have a very keen sense of smell, which is necessary to find insects burrowing into the sand on greater depth, especially during the dry season. Long vibrissae on the muzzle help them navigate dark tunnels no.

The animals have acute vision, allowing them to spot a predator from afar. Dark circles around the eyes absorb excess ultraviolet radiation, allowing meerkats to look almost directly into the sun. They have a highly developed third eyelid, which reliably protects their eyes from sand.

Hunts scorpions, eats them along with the poisonous gland

Hunts scorpions, eats them along with the poisonous gland

Hunts scorpions, eats them along with the poisonous gland

Nutrition and feeding behavior

Meerkats are carnivores and their main food is insects and other invertebrates. They happily eat lizards, bird eggs, small rodents, and their young. Widely known unique ability The meerkat eats animals whose poison can even kill a person. They successfully hunt scorpions, eating them along with the poisonous gland. Some Poisonous snakes also cannot protect themselves from meerkats, although large cobras are great for animals mortal danger. Meerkats drink extremely rarely, being content with the moisture contained in the food.

Meerkats have a very intense metabolism: during the night they burn a large number of calories and lose about 5% of body weight, so the animals eat a lot. Researchers have found that during an hour of feeding, an adult meerkat eats an average of 30 food items.

In the summer, during the rainy season, meerkats have no shortage of food: the ground is literally teeming with insects that crawl along the surface, and if they bury themselves, they do so to a shallow depth. Therefore, the animals do not need to move far from the hole, and they hunt near the house. Each meerkat gets its own food; adults do not share their prey with each other, but children are a different matter. Babies begin to accompany adults on hunts at the age of one month, and all family members feed them. Initially, adult meerkats give the cubs a taste of soft larvae, gradually teaching them to hunt large invertebrates, including scorpions, and then vertebrates.

During feeding, one of the group members must “stand guard” in order to notice the approach of a predator in time. In order to have best review, meerkats climb onto stones, stumps and even bushes, and can balance on thin branches while standing on their hind legs. When danger approaches (a predator or another group of meerkats), the observer notifies the entire group about it with a special signal.

With the coming dry season It is becoming increasingly difficult for meerkats to find food that is hidden deep underground. They have to move considerable distances from the hole - 2–3 kilometers or more, often raiding the territory of their neighbors. The relationship between animals during feeding becomes more rigid - they can take food from each other and even from the cubs. This behavior is especially typical for a dominant female if she is pregnant. It is at this time of year that single animals die, which are forced to simultaneously search for food, watch out for predators and avoid encounters with aggressive brothers.

Activity

Meerkats are diurnal animals: they spend the night in burrows, huddled closely together and warmed by collective warmth. After sunrise, the animals appear on the surface and begin cleaning the home. Excess soil is thrown away, the entrances to the hole are cleaned and expanded. In addition to cleaning, sunbathing is a mandatory morning procedure. Meerkats stand on their hind legs, turn their heads towards the sun and stand, basking in its rays. The skin on their belly is dark and their fur is sparse, so they warm up quickly. After finishing the morning procedures, the whole family goes to feed. If the place where meerkats feed is far from the hole, they return to it only in the evening, resting during the day in the shade of trees or in a temporary shelter near the feeding site. When there is enough food near the house, the daytime siesta takes place in the native hole.

Vocalization

Meerkats are unusually talkative creatures. While feeding, especially in tall grass, they constantly maintain acoustic contact with each other, making soft sounds. When in danger, the sentry meerkat yelps loudly and abruptly, and the lagging cub squeals. Animals often communicate with their relatives in entire “phrases” consisting of 2–4 signals.

Social behavior

Until recently, meerkats were studied extremely poorly, but long-term observations of individually marked animals in southern Africa using modern methods Research has made it possible to get to know these animals much better.

The main structural unit of the meerkat population is the family, in which strict matriarchy reigns. The entire life of the family is controlled by the main female: she chooses the hole in which the family will live, the place of feeding, and, most importantly, only she has the right to give birth to cubs.

The dominant male is determined in inter-male interactions; as a rule, it is he who forms a pair with the main female and becomes the father of all the babies born to her. A couple can dominate for several years, and the family will grow at the expense of its offspring. The number of animals in a family is usually up to 30 individuals; small groups of meerkats are very vulnerable to predators, and large families(over 40 animals) it is difficult to maintain unity.

Each group of meerkat adheres to a specific protected area. The size of the territories of different families living, for example, in the Kalahari, is from 1 to 3 square meters. km, each has at least 5 burrows suitable for family life. A burrow, especially one dug in soft soil, can occupy an area of ​​25x32 m; it is a complex network of branched corridors with chambers and has up to a hundred exits. On average, however, the burrows occupy an area of ​​5x5 m and have 15 exits. The burrows go 1.5 - 2 meters deep, and therefore the temperature in it is quite constant and remains between 22-25. A family can live in one hole for several months, but multiplying fleas and ticks force the animals to regularly change their home. A change of burrow most often occurs before the appearance of the offspring of the main female; only in exceptional cases does the group move when there are babies in the burrow. When "moving to new apartment» small cubs are carried in the teeth of adult family members. The surroundings of the burrows are carefully marked with the secretion of special glands.

Territorial conflicts rarely occur in summer, when food is abundant. Families can feed at a distance of several tens of meters without noticing or ignoring each other. When meeting in the border zone, groups are limited to ritual border interactions.

With the onset of winter, food becomes less and less, and meerkat families can invade other people's territories. When the sentries notice strangers, they make a loud, abrupt sound, and all the animals in the group, with their tails raised and fur ruffled, stand shoulder to shoulder to defend the territory. After a few minutes of confrontation, one of the families rushes to attack. Each group feels more confident in its own territory, and often uninvited guests immediately take flight. Bloody battles rarely occur between stable groups of equal numbers, but if a family has grown significantly over the summer, it seeks to expand its territory. In such cases, fights can be very fierce and even end in the death of some of the animals. Meerkats are especially selfless in protecting their burrows with the cubs in them, since the cubs left behind will be killed by strangers.

If during the wet season several new groups of meerkats formed, then in winter a redistribution of territories is inevitable, which will be accompanied by fierce fights.

Reproduction and raising offspring

Meerkats reach sexual maturity at the age of one year, but in the wild they begin to reproduce later. The main female has the absolute advantage in reproduction. If any of her grown-up daughters have cubs, she can kill them, or kick the “offending” female out of the group, or transfer the entire group to another hole, leaving the new mother with the babies.

The female is capable of bearing offspring up to 4 times a year, however, in the vast majority of cases, reproduction is confined to the summer, wet season and occurs from October to March. As a result of pregnancy, which lasts 70–77 days, from 2 to 5 cubs weighing 25–30 g appear in the burrow. After feeding the babies, the mother and her group go hunting, and a “nanny” remains with the children, who does not leave them until the other group members return. Children are fed milk not only by the mother, but also by other females of the group, and for meerkats such a phenomenon as allolactation has been described: milk appears in nulliparous females.
The cubs' eyes open on days 10–14, but they emerge from the burrow only 3 weeks after birth. One of the group members stays with them during the day for another week, and at the age of one month, the babies go hunting with the adults. The older members of the group first give them a taste of the larvae, and later bring more serious prey. It is typical for meerkats to teach the young: children not only watch the hunt, the elders show them how it is done. At the same time, adults determine the degree of readiness of the baby to cope with this or that victim by their sounds. Milk feeding stops at 7–9 weeks of age.

2–3 days after the birth of the babies, the female is again ready for mating. At this time, the dominant male of the group does not leave her side and carefully guards her from other males. IN summer period When there is a lot of food around, older males from neighboring groups can hang around the feeding family, they attract young females, but a dominant female can also come to them for a “date.” After mating, these males return to their families, but sometimes they take away young females and then a new family meerkat

Lifespan

The main enemies of meerkats in nature are: predator birds, but any terrestrial predator can feast on a gaping meerkat, so in nature meerkats rarely live to be 7–8 years old. Young animals die especially often: out of 3 cubs born, only one survives to one year old. In captivity, animals live on average much longer: the maximum recorded lifespan of meerkats is 12 years and 6 months.

Meerkats at the Moscow Zoo

Meerkats appeared here in July 2009, arriving from South Africa. For their arrival, an enclosure simulating natural environment: sand, holes, driftwood. A landscape was painted on the back wall African savannah so that the animals feel almost at home. And they “appreciated” the efforts of the artists: they began to jump on the wall, as if trying to escape to their native spaces.

Nine little animals adolescence turned out to come from different families. Meerkats have strict laws that do not allow them to tolerate strangers on their territory, and within the very first days these laws came into force. One animal was killed and the other two were expelled from the group. They had to be urgently sent away, and only then did the rest calm down and live their own home. The main female and the main male were identified, and soon we noticed that replenishment was expected in the group.

The four babies were born big and strong, but their mother was still too young (in nature, one-year-old females do not reproduce), and her body could not stand it. The cubs had to be taken to artificial feeding. Feeding babies weighing 30 grams is not an easy task, but the zoo staff have a lot of experience, they were caring mothers even for newborn jumpers weighing 5 g. The meerkats fell into capable hands and safely passed the period of milk feeding. At the end of November, a female, previously expelled from the group, was added to the babies. There was a considerable risk that the female would perceive them as strangers, and then the children could pay for this experiment with their lives. However, we decided to take a risk, since young animals need to communicate with adults of their species to develop correct behavior. Our fears turned out to be in vain: the adult animal was so yearning for solitude that it perceived the opportunity to have a family as happiness. But the kids, at the age of five weeks, initially began to defend the territory: with their tails raised shoulder to shoulder, they opposed the “enemy.” However, the adult female chose the tactic of ignoring and, only an hour later, when the cubs had calmed down, she lay down next to her and began to lick them. This is how we got a second meerkat family.

And in the enclosure at the exhibition, the family continues to live its life: the animals play, groom each other’s fur, bask in the “sun,” and dig sand. Their daytime sleep is short, and when you approach the enclosure, you will definitely see these funny animals. They are so curious that they can interrupt their rest to see who has come. But they don’t like loud sounds: meerkats get scared, despite the thick glass separating them from people. But if you stand quietly near the enclosure, you will hear them “talking.” In captivity, animals do not change their habits; they need to constantly hear each other.

During the cold season, the meerkat family lives in a warm pavilion; with the onset of spring, they are given access to the outdoor enclosure. The animals begin to go out into the sun, explore the surroundings, but still spend cold nights in a warm hole in the pavilion. And only when the earth warms up do meerkats go to live outside for the whole summer. A similar thing happens in the fall: with the onset of frost, the animals gradually move into a warm pavilion.

The meerkat is fed 3 times a day. Their menu includes cottage cheese, quails and their eggs, chicken meat, but the animals are especially animated at the sight of mealworms, zofobas larvae and insects. Meerkats catch and eat them with lightning speed, sometimes arguing and quarreling with each other. They prefer cabbage among vegetables, and bananas among fruits. Having had enough, they huddle together and, forgetting all their quarrels, clean each other.

The meerkat is a small mammal of the mongoose family. Outwardly, meerkats are very similar to gophers, so ignorant people classify them as rodents, but in fact, meerkats are predatory animals. Their closest relatives are mongooses, to which they are also very similar, and their more distant relatives are mustelids.

Meerkat (Suricata suricatta).

Meerkats are only slightly larger in size than gophers, their body length is 25-35 cm, but their slightly elongated muzzle immediately allows them to be distinguished from real rodents. In addition, their eyes are more directed forward, like all predators, and in rodents they are located on the sides of the head. The meerkat has small ears, an elongated body, and a relatively long tail (20-25 cm). The front and hind legs are almost the same length, small and weak. The coat is short, grayish-yellow, with faint stripes visible on the back. Sexual dimorphism is almost not expressed, males are slightly smaller than females.

These animals live in Africa south of the equator: South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Botswana. Their favorite habitats are deserts and semi-deserts. Meerkats primarily inhabit loose sands and loose soils; they are not found in places with continuous grass cover. This selectivity is due to the fact that meerkats live in burrows, which they dig themselves. Meerkats' burrows are long, and the animals spend a lot of time digging and repairing them. These animals are sedentary and stick to permanent areas. The boundaries of the site are protected from neighbors, and if they are violated, fights often break out.

Meerkats are colonial animals, their groups number from 15 to 30, less often up to 45-63 individuals. Each such group is a real family, all members of which are related by family ties. The head of the family is always a female, smaller males and females occupy secondary roles, followed by young animals and cubs. This matriarchy is explained by the fact that fertility is important to maintain the genus of these small predators. Thus, the female who supplies the clan with cubs occupies privileged position, the rest of the family serves her. But this does not mean that the main female suppresses other members of the group, she leads the same lifestyle as everyone else, it’s just that the younger animals spend more time creating holes.

A family of meerkats at a guard post: the far left is a pregnant female matriarch, the far right is a male, the rest of the animals are theirs younger relatives and descendants.

Apart from rare conflicts at the boundaries of their territories, meerkats are generally distinguished by a very meek and friendly disposition. There is complete mutual understanding and mutual assistance between family members. Young males and females help the older one keep an eye on her growing brothers and sisters when she goes out in search of food; V cold weather meerkats huddle together and keep each other warm; In addition, all family members take turns on “air defense” duty. To do this, the meerkat climbs the branches of bushes or a shallow tree trunk and stands on hind legs, constantly looking around. Seeing the silhouette of a bird of prey, he shouts to warn the rest of the family about the danger and rushes to take refuge in a hole. At his sign, everyone hides and sits out until the predator leaves the territory. A few hours later the duty officer changes.

Friendly hugs help meerkats warm up in the cool morning hours.

A meerkat is sunbathing.

Meerkats feed mainly on insects; less often they can eat spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and catch lizards and small snakes. Through their prey, meerkats satisfy their need for water; they do not go to water specifically. Meerkats show great dexterity in catching prey. To do this, they grab the insect with their front paws, and the scorpions' sting is immediately pulled out. If the snake is defending itself, then the meerkat, with quick movements of its paws, tugs at the victim and disorients it, and then grabs it by the neck. Thanks to its agility and courage, a meerkat is almost never bitten; in this it is similar to another skilled snake fighter - the mongoose. In addition, meerkats are immune to scorpion venom, so even its bite means nothing to the animal.

A family of meerkats carefully studies the cobra before starting their meal.

Meerkats reproduce regardless of the season; females almost continuously take part in reproduction: as soon as one litter grows, the female becomes pregnant with the next one. These animals have no special mating rituals, although the female more often mates with the same male of the same rank. Pregnancy lasts 77 days, the female gives birth to 3-5 (rarely up to 7) cubs. The cubs are born helpless, blind, they begin to see sight after 2 weeks, the mother feeds them with milk for up to 2 months. Grown-up cubs begin to look out of the hole at three weeks; from this moment on, older brothers and sisters play a large role in their upbringing. They can monitor the young in the absence of the older female and organize joint games with them. Meerkats reach sexual maturity by one year, and live in the wild for 3-5 years; in captivity, their life expectancy reaches 12 years.

Two baby meerkats are trying to explore their surroundings in a guard position characteristic of adults.

The small size of meerkats makes them very vulnerable; meerkats have no means of protection against enemies, and many predators like to catch these animals. Their main enemies are large birds of prey (eagles, etc.), which look out for meerkats from above and catch them in treeless areas. In addition, meerkats can be hunted large snakes, they can attack animals both in open spaces and directly in burrows. The overall mortality rate among these animals is high; as a rule, the change of generations in the colony occurs over several years.

For humans, meerkats are not of economic interest, but they are undoubtedly an interesting object for observation. These animals are often kept in zoos; they entertain visitors with hilarious poses. In captivity, meerkats take root well and quickly get used to people (sometimes they are even used to kill snakes in their homes). However, meerkats have one thing vulnerable spot: they are very thermophilic and in zoos they are warmed with special red lamps that imitate the desert sun.