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| Suricata suricatta (Schreber, 1776) |
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 Meerkat range
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This article refers to the meerkat mammal. Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber ( Weißensee Thuringia, 1739 — Erlangen, 1810 was a German naturalist. Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a For other uses, see Meerkat (disambiguation).
The meerkat or suricate Suricata suricatta is a small mammal and a member of the mongoose family. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small It inhabits all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and South Africa. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang", or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains around 20 meerkats at a time, but some superfamilies have had 50 or more. Meerkats have an average life span of 12-14 years.
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Name
"Meerkat" is a loan word from Afrikaans. A loanword (or loan word) is a word directly taken into one Language from another with little or no translation Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in The name came from Dutch but by misidentification. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Dutch meerkat and German Meerkatze refer to the "guenon", a monkey of the Cercopithecus genus. The guenons are the Genus Cercopithecus of Old World monkeys Not all the members of this genus have the word "guenon" in their The guenons are the Genus Cercopithecus of Old World monkeys Not all the members of this genus have the word "guenon" in their The word "meerkat" is Dutch for "lake cat", but the suricata is not in the cat family, and neither suricatas nor guenons are attracted to lakes; the word possibly started as a Dutch adaptation of a derivative of Sanskrit markaţa मर्कट = "monkey", perhaps in Africa via an Indian sailor onboard a Dutch East India Company ship. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical A monkey is any member of either the New World monkeys or Old World monkeys two of the three groupings of Simian Primates the third group being The Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian The traders of the Dutch East India Company were likely familiar with monkeys, but the Dutch settlers attached the name to the wrong animal at the Cape. The suricata is called stokstaartje = "little stick-tail" in Dutch and Erdmännchen = "little earth-man" in German. The scientific name suricate comes from the Swahili language and it means "rock-cat". Swahili (called Kiswahili in the language itself is the First language of the Swahili people (Waswahili who inhabit several large stretches
According to African popular belief (mainly in the Zambian/Zimbabwean region), the meerkat is also known as the sun angel, as it protects villages from the moon devil or the werewolf which is believed to attack stray cattle or lone tribesmen. The Republic of Zambia (ˈzæmbɪə is a Landlocked country in Southern Africa. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to
Anatomy
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The meerkat is a small diurnal herpestid (mongoose) weighing on average about 731 grams (1. In Animal behavior, diurnality indicates an Animal that is active during the Daytime and rests during the Night. A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation. 61 pounds) for males and 720 grams (1. 58 pounds) for females. Its long slender body and limbs give it a body length of 25 to 35 cm (10 to 14 inches) and an added tail length of 17 to 25 cm (7 to 10 inches). A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Its tail is not bushy like all other mongoose species, but is rather long and thin and tapers to a black or reddish colored pointed tip. The meerkat uses its tail to balance when standing upright. Its face tapers, coming to a point at the nose, which is brown. The eyes always have black patches around them, which help deflect the sun's glare. The meerkat has small black crescent-shaped ears that can close when digging to keep sand out. Like cats, meerkats have binocular vision, a large peripheral range, depth perception, and eyes on the front of their faces. Binocular vision is vision in which both Eyes are used together
At the end of each of a meerkat's "fingers" is a non-retractable, strong, 2 cm (0. 8 inches) long, curved claw used for digging underground burrows and digging for prey. A claw is a curved pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most Mammals, Birds, and some Reptiles. A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an Animal to create a space suitable for habitation temporary refuge or as a byproduct of locomotion Claws are also used with muscular hindlegs to help climb the occasional tree. They have four toes on each foot and long slender limbs. The coat is usually fawn-colored peppered with gray, tan, or brown with a silver tint. They have short parallel stripes across their backs, extending from the base of the tail to the shoulders. The patterns of stripes are unique to each meerkat. The underside of the meerkat has no markings but the belly has a patch which is only sparsely covered with hair and shows the black skin underneath. The meerkat uses this area to absorb heat while standing on its rear legs, usually early in the morning after cold desert nights.
Diet and foraging behaviour
Meerkats are primarily insectivores, but also eat lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, plants, eggs, small mammals, millipedes, centipedes and, more rarely, small birds. An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of Insects and similar small creatures Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. Spiders are Predatory Invertebrate Animals that have two body segments, eight legs no chewing mouth parts and no wings Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Millipedes (Class Diplopoda, previously also known as Chilognatha are Arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment (except for the first segment behind Centipedes (from Latin prefix centi-, "hundred" and Greek ποδός podos, " Foot " are They are partially immune to certain venoms; they are immune to the very strong venom of the scorpions of the Kalahari, unlike humans. Immunity is a material term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid Infection, Disease, or other unwanted biological invasion [1] They have no excess body fat stores, so foraging for food is a daily need. "Adipose" redirects here For the Doctor Who monster see " Partners in Crime "
Meerkats forage in a group with one "sentry" on guard watching for predators while the others search for food. Sentry duty is usually approximately an hour long. Baby meerkats do not start foraging for food until they are about 1 month old, and do so by following an older member of the group who acts as the pup's tutor. The meerkat standing guard makes peeping sounds when all is well. If the meerkat spots danger, it barks loudly or whistles.
Reproduction
Meerkats become sexually mature at about one year of age and can have 1 to 5 pups in a litter, with 3 pups being the most common litter size. Wild meerkats may have up to four litters per year. Meerkats are iteroparous and can reproduce any time of the year but most births occur in the warmer seasons. Reproduction is the Biological process by which new individual Organisms are produced The female meerkat can have more than one litter a year. For other meanings of litter see Litter (disambiguation. A litter is the offspring at one birth of Animals from the same mother and usually The pups are allowed to leave the burrow at three weeks old. A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an Animal to create a space suitable for habitation temporary refuge or as a byproduct of locomotion When the pups are ready to emerge from the burrow, the whole clan of meerkats will stand around the burrow to watch. Some of the adolescents might try to show off so they can have more attention than the pups.
Reports show that there is no precopulatory display; the male ritually grooms the female until she submits to him and copulation begins, the male generally adopting a seated position during the act. Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract Gestation lasts approximately 11 weeks and the young are born within the underground burrow and are altricial. Gestation is the carrying of an Embryo or Fetus inside a Female Viviparous Animal. Altricial means "requiring nourishment" and refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or The young's ears open at about 15 days of age, and their eyes at 10-14 days. They are weaned around 49 to 63 days. Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a Mammal Infant, either human or animal to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's They do not come above ground until at least 21 days of age and stay with babysitters near the burrow. After another week or so, they join the adults on a foraging party.
Usually, the alpha pair reserves the right to mate and normally kills any young not its own, to ensure that its offspring has the best chance of survival. In Social animals the alpha male is the individual in the community to whom the others follow and defer The dominant couple may also evict, or kick out the mothers of the offending offspring.
New meerkat groups are often formed by evicted females pairing with roving males.
If the members of the alpha group are relatives (this tends to happen when the alpha female dies and is succeeded by a daughter), they do not mate with each other and reproduction is by group females stray-mating with roving males from other groups; in this situation, pregnant females tend to kill and eat any pups born to other females.
Behavior
Meerkats are small burrowing animals, living in large underground networks with multiple entrances which they leave only during the day. They are very social, living in colonies averaging 20-30 members. Animals in the same group regularly groom each other to strengthen social bonds. The alpha pair often scent-mark subordinates of the group to express their authority, and this is usually followed by the subordinates grooming the alphas and licking their faces. This behavior is also usually practiced when group members are reunited after a short period apart. Most meerkats in a group are all siblings or offspring of the alpha pair.
Meerkats demonstrate altruistic behavior within their colonies; one or more meerkats stand sentry (lookout) while others are foraging or playing, to warn them of approaching dangers. Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others It is a traditional Virtue in many cultures and central to many religious traditions When a predator is spotted, the meerkat performing as sentry gives a warning bark, and other members of the gang will run and hide in one of the many bolt holes they have spread across their territory. The sentry meerkat is the first to reappear from the burrow and search for predators, constantly barking to keep the others underground. If there is no threat, the sentry meerkat stops signalling and the others feel safe to emerge.
Meerkats also babysit the young in the group. Females that have never produced offspring of their own often lactate to feed the alpha pair's young, while the alpha female is away with the rest of the group. Lactation describes the secretion of Milk from the Mammary glands the process of providing that milk to the young and the period of time that a Mother They also protect the young from threats, often endangering their own lives. On warning of danger, the babysitter takes the young underground to safety and is prepared to defend them if the danger follows. If retreating underground is not possible, she collects all young together and lies on top of them.
Meerkats are also known to share their burrow with the yellow mongoose and ground squirrel, species with which they do not compete for resources. The Yellow Mongoose, sometimes referred to as the Red Meerkat is a small Mammal averaging about 1 lb (1/2 kg in weight and about 20 in (500 mm in length The ground squirrels are the members of the Sciuridae most closely related to the Genus Marmota. If they are unlucky, sometimes they share their burrow with snakes. A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales.
Meerkats actively teach their young. Young of most species learn solely by observing adults. For example, meerkat adults teach their pups how to eat a venomous scorpion: they will remove the stinger and help the pup learn how to handle the creature. [2]
Despite this altruistic behaviour, meerkats sometimes kill young members of their group. Subordinate meerkats have been seen killing the offspring of more senior members in order to improve their own offspring's position. [3]
Meerkats have been known to engage in social activities, including what appear to be wrestling matches and foot races.
Vocalization
It has recently been noted that meerkat calls may carry specific meanings, with specific calls indicating the approach of snakes, birds of prey, or other predators. How these calls work is not yet clear.
Meerkat groups
A meerkat group may die out because of predator attack, its alpha pair being unable to breed, starvation in a year when the rains fail, or epidemic disease.
A new meerkat group often arises from evicted females meeting and staying with roving males, looking for chances to mate. The litter size is usually 2-5 pups.
The size of the groups is variable. Many animals including humans tend to live in groups Herds flocks, bands packs, parties or colonies (hereafter groups of conspecific individuals A group which becomes over-large may routinely have to disperse widely to find enough food when foraging. As a result, when suddenly needing to run for shelter, members of the group may choose different holes, resulting in the group fissioning.
See also
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, a long-term research project
- Meerkat Manor, a very popular television show
References
- ^ David Attenborough, 2000. The Kalahari Meerkat Project, or KMP, is a long term research project focused on studying the evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of cooperative behaviors in Meerkat Manor is a British Television programme produced by Oxford Scientific Films for Animal Planet International. Meerkats United
- ^ Thornton, Alex; McAuliffe, Katherine (July 14 2006). "Teaching in Wild Meerkats". Science 313 (5784): 227-9. doi:10.1126/science.1128727. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.
- ^ Murderous Meerkat Moms Contradict Caring Image, Study Finds
- Mustelid Specialist Group (1996). Suricata suricatta. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
- David Macdonald (Photography by Nigel Dennis): Meerkats. London: New Holland Publishers, 1999.
- Meerkat pups go to eating school BBC News, 13 July 2006. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Meerkat pups do not learn how to eat dangerous animals such as scorpions on their own but are taught by adults, scientists have discovered.
External links
- Animal Diversity - Meerkat
- Fellow Earthlings Meerkat Sanctuary
- The Kalahari Meerkat Project
- The Meerkat Magic Project
Dictionary
meerkat
-noun
- A small carnivorous mammal of the mongoose family, from the Kalahari Desert, known for its habit of standing on its hind legs. Scientific name: Suricata suricatta.
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