View source for Meerkat

{{short description|Species of mongoose from Southern Africa}}
{{About|the mammal}}
{{redirect|Meerkats|the 2008 British film|The Meerkats}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{good article}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Meerkat
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Suricata suricatta'' |name-list-style=amp |author=Jordan, N.R. |author2=Do Linh San, E. |date=2015 |page=e.T41624A45209377 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41624A45209377.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) Tswalu.jpg
| image_caption = A mob of meerkats in [[Tswalu Kalahari Reserve]]
| genus = Suricata
| parent_authority = 
| species = suricatta
| authority = ([[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]], 1776)
| range_map = Meerkat area.png
| range_map_caption = {{legend0|#8F4731|&nbsp;native range<ref name=iucn />|outline=gray}}
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|2.59|0|Early [[Pleistocene]]–Recent|ref=<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=41015|title=PBDB: ''Suricata''|access-date=17 March 2024|archive-date=30 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130084850/https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=41015|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision ={{collapsible list
|''S. s. suricatta'' {{small|(Schreber, 1776)}}
|''S. s. majoriae'' {{small|Bradfield, 1936}}
|''S. s. iona'' {{small|Crawford-Cabral, 1971}}
}}
| synonyms={{collapsible list
|''Rhyzaena'' <small>Wagner, 1841</small>
|''Viverra suricatta'' <small>Schreber, 1776</small> 
|''V. tetradactyla'' <small>[[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1777</small> 
|''Mus zenik'' <small>Scopoli, 1786</small>
|'' Suricata capensis'' <small>Desmarest, 1804</small>
|''S. viverrina'' <small>Desmarest, 1819</small> 
|''S. namaquensis'' <small>(Thomas and Schwann, 1905)</small>
|''S. hamiltoni'' <small>(Thomas and Schwann, 1905)</small>
|''S. lophurus'' <small>(Thomas and Schwann, 1905)</small>
|''S. hahni'' <small>([[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1927)</small> 
|''S. majoriae'' <small>Bradfield, 1936</small>
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=ms>{{cite journal |title=''Suricata suricatta'' |journal=Mammalian Species |issue=483 |pages=1–8 |date=1994 |last=Van Staaden |first=M. J. |jstor=3504085 |doi=10.2307/3504085 |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-483-01-0001.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 March 2016 |df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315210848/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-483-01-0001.pdf}}</ref><ref name=msw3genus>{{MSW3 Carnivora |id=14000677 |heading=Genus ''Suricata'' |page=571}}</ref>
}}

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 [[brindle]]d coat pattern. The head-and-body length is around {{cvt|24|–|35|cm}}, and the weight is typically between {{cvt|0.62|and|0.97|kg}}. 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 [[sociality|social]], and form packs of two to 30 individuals each that occupy [[home range]]s around {{cvt|5|sqkm}} in area. There is a social [[dominance hierarchy|hierarchy]]—generally [[Dominance (ethology)|dominant]] individuals in a pack breed and produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate members provide [[Altruism (biology)|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 {{cvt|5|m}} in diameter with around 15 openings, are large underground networks consisting of two to three levels of tunnels. These tunnels are around {{cvt|7.5|cm}} high at the top and wider below, and extend up to {{cvt|1.5|m}} 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 continuously 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 [[beetle]]s and [[lepidopteran]]s, [[arthropod]]s, [[amphibian]]s, small birds, reptiles, and plant material in their diet.

Commonly living in arid, open habitats with little [[woody plant|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 [[Afrikaans]] language. The origin of the name is uncertain, giving rise to a number of theories, including:
*The provincial Dutch / colloquial Afrikaans word ''mier'' meaning 'ant' and ''kat'', which means 'cat', hence an 'ant cat' referring to the meerkat's preying on ants and termites.<ref name=ms/><ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|Suricate|access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Moller |first1=L. A. |title=Of the Same Breath: Indigenous Animal and Place Names |date=2017 |publisher=Sun Media |location=Bloemfontein |isbn=978-1-928424-03-1 |pages=124–126 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JW1WDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124 |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805193447/https://books.google.com/books?id=JW1WDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*A [[Dutch language|Dutch]] name for a kind of monkey, proposed to come from the [[Old High German]] ''mericazza'' and to be related to the similar {{langx|hi|मर्कट}} (''markat'', or ''monkey''), deriving from [[Sanskrit Language|Sanskrit]]. The Germanic origin of the word though long 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 [[burrow]]ing animals.<ref>{{OEtymD|meerkat|access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|Meerkat|access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref> The {{clarify|text=native South African|reason=native in what language(s)?|date=May 2023}} name for the meerkat is 'suricate', possibly deriving from the French 'surikate'.
*A combination of ''meer'' ('lake') and ''kat'' ('cat'); albeit that meerkats are dry land creatures.

In [[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]] the meerkat is called ''graatjiemeerkat'' or ''stokstertmeerkat''; the term ''mierkatte'' or ''meerkatte'' can refer to both the meerkat and the [[yellow mongoose]] ({{langx|af|rooimeerkat}}).

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Suricata suricatta (Meerkats), Gordon drawing.jpg|thumb|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''.<ref>{{cite book |author=Schreber, J. C. D. |year=1776 |chapter=''Viverra suricata'' |page=CVII |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/diesugthierein81schr/page/n170/mode/1up |title=Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen |trans-title=The Mammals in Illustrations according to Nature, with Descriptions |language=de |location=Erlangen |publisher=Expedition des Schreber'schen Säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes}}</ref> The [[Genus (biology)|generic]] name ''Suricata'' was proposed by [[Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest]] in 1804, who also described a [[zoological specimen]] from the Cape of Good Hope.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Desmarest |first1=A. G. |year=1804 |chapter=Genre Surikate, ''Suricata'' Nob. |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/nouveaudictionna241804/page/n252/mode/1up |page=15 |title=Nouveau dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle appliquée aux arts : principalement à l'agriculture et à l'économie rurale et domestique |volume=24 |editor=Deterville, J. F. P. |publisher=Deterville |location=Paris}}</ref> 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]], [[Makhanda, Eastern Cape|Grahamstown]], [[Orange River Colony]] and southern [[Transvaal Colony|Transvaal]], and [[Klipfontein, Mpumalanga|Klipfontein]] respectively.<ref name=thomas>{{cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=O. |last2=Schwann |first2=H. |name-list-style=amp |title=The Rudd exploration of South Africa.—II. List of mammals from the Wakkerstroom district, south-eastern Transvaal |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |date=1905 |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=129–138 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1905.tb08370.x |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31856655#page/183/mode/1up |access-date=24 April 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805193923/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31856655#page/183/mode/1up |url-status=live }}</ref> Several zoological specimens were described between the late 18th and 20th centuries, of which three are recognised as [[Valid name (zoology)|valid]] [[subspecies]]:<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/>

*''S. s. suricatta'' {{small|(Schreber, 1776)}} occurs in southern Namibia, southern Botswana, and South Africa.
*''S. s. majoriae'' {{small|Bradfield, 1936}} occurs in central and northwestern Namibia.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bradfield, R.D. |year=1936 |title=Description of new races of Kalahari birds and mammals |journal=The Auk |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=131–132 |jstor=4077422}}</ref>
*''S. s. iona'' {{small|Crawford-Cabral, 1971}} occurs in southwestern Angola.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Crawford-Cabral, J. |year=1971 |title=A Suricata do Iona, subspécie nova |language=pt |trans-title=Iona's meerkat, new subspecies |journal=Boletim do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Angola |volume=8 |pages=65–83}}</ref>

==Phylogeny and evolution==
Meerkat fossils dating back to {{mya|2.59|0.01}} have been excavated in various locations in South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=232149|title=''Suricata suricatta'' Schreber 1776 (meerkat)|website=[[Fossilworks]] (Gateway to [[Paleobiology Database]])|access-date=17 December 2021|archive-date=22 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922125748/http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=232149|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2009 [[phylogenetic]] study of the [[Family (taxonomy)|family]] [[Herpestidae]] suggests it split into two lineages around the [[Early Miocene]] (25.4–18.2 mya)—[[Eusociality|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 [[Genetic divergence|genetically diverged]] from the rest of the clade 22.6–15.6 mya. The phylogenetic relationships of the meerkat are depicted as follows:<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Patou |first1=M. |last2=Mclenachan |first2=P. A. |last3=Morley |first3=C. G. |last4=Couloux |first4=A. |last5=Jennings |first5=A. P. |last6=Veron |first6=G. |title=Molecular phylogeny of the Herpestidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) with a special emphasis on the Asian ''Herpestes'' |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |date=2009 |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=69–80 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.038 |pmid=19520178 |bibcode=2009MolPE..53...69P |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26286265}}</ref>

{{clade|style=font-size:90%;line-height:75%;width=90em
|label1=[[Herpestidae]]
|1={{clade
 |label1='' [[eusocial]]''
 |1={{clade
   |1={{clade
      |1='''Meerkat''' ('''''Suricata suricatta''''') [[File:Carlos Guilherme Rodrigues (76515213).jpeg|60px]]
      |2={{clade
         |1={{clade
              |1=[[Banded mongoose]] (''Mungos mungo'') [[File:Zebramanguste01.jpg|60px]]
              |2=[[Liberian mongoose]] (''Liberiictis kuhni'')
              }}
         |2={{clade
              |label1=''[[Helogale]]''
              |1={{clade
                    |1=[[Common dwarf mongoose]] (''Helogale parvula'') [[File:Zwergmanguste 2007-05-13 052.jpg|60px]]
                    |2=[[Ethiopian dwarf mongoose]] (''Helogale hirtula'') 
                   }}
              |label2=''[[Crossarchus]]''
              |2={{clade
                    |1=[[Common kusimanse]] (''Crossarchus obscurus'') [[File:Crossarchus obscurus Plzen zoo 02.2011.jpg|50px]]
                    |2=[[Alexander's kusimanse]] (''Crossarchus alexandri'')
                   }}
              }}
         }}
      }}
   }}
 |label2=''solitary''
 |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Ichneumia]]'', ''[[Cynictis]]'', ''[[Paracynictis]]'', ''[[Rhynchogale]]'', ''[[Bdeogale]]'', ''[[Galerella]]'' and [[Egyptian mongoose]] (''Herpestes ichneumon'') 
      |2=Asian ''[[Herpestes]]'', [[long-nosed mongoose]] (''H. naso'') and [[marsh mongoose]] (''Atilax paludinosus'')
      }}
 }}
}}

==Characteristics==
{{multiple image|direction=vertical
|image1=WPKiW - ZOO - Surykatka.jpg|caption1=Close view of a meerkat. Note the banded pattern, the big eye circles and the thin tail.
|image2=50 Jahre Knie's Kinderzoo - Suricata suricatta (Erdmännchen) 2012-10-03 16-27-22.JPG|caption2=The sharp, curved foreclaws are adapted for digging.
|image3= Suricata suricatta 05 MWNH 1514.jpg|caption3=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 [[brindle]]d coat pattern. It is smaller than most other mongooses except the [[Helogale|dwarf mongoose]]s (genus ''Helogale'') and possibly ''[[Galerella]]'' species.<ref name=ms/> The head-and-body length is around {{cvt|24|–|35|cm}}, and the weight has been recorded to be between {{cvt|0.62|–|0.97|kg}} without much variation between the sexes (though some [[Dominance (ethology)|dominant]] females can be heavier than the rest).<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/> 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 hair]]s, 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.<ref name=ms/><ref name="hunter">{{cite book |last1=Hunter |first1=L. |last2=Barrett |first2=P. |title=A Field Guide to the Carnivores of the World |date=2018 |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London |isbn=978-1-4729-5080-2 |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HpxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA66 |access-date=24 April 2020 |archive-date=8 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608055231/https://books.google.com/books?id=4HpxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA66 |url-status=live }}</ref> These hairs are typically between {{cvt|1.5|and|2|cm}}, but measure {{cvt|3|-|4|cm}} 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.<ref name="kingdon">{{cite book |last1=Macdonald |first1=D. W. |editor1-last=Kingdon |editor1-first=J. |editor2-last=Happold |editor2-first=D. |editor3-last=Hoffmann |editor3-first=M. |editor4-last=Butynski |editor4-first=T. |editor5-last=Happold |editor5-first=M. |editor6-last=Kalina |editor6-first=J. |title=Mammals of Africa |volume=V{{snds}}Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-4081-8994-8 |pages=347–352 |chapter=''Suricata suricatta'' Meerkat (Suricate) |date=2014 |chapter-url={{Google Books|id=B_07noCPc4kC|page=347|plainurl=yes}} }}</ref><ref name="nowak">{{cite book |last1=Nowak |first1=R. M. |title=Walker's Carnivores of the World |url=https://archive.org/details/walkerscarnivore00nowa |url-access=limited |date=2005 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore |isbn=978-0-8018-8033-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/walkerscarnivore00nowa/page/n229 219]–221}}</ref> The eyes, in sockets covering over 20% of the skull length, are capable of [[binocular vision]].<ref name=ms/><ref name="Miller2007">{{cite book |first=S. S. |last=Miller|title=All Kinds of Eyes |chapter=Marvelous mammal eyes |chapter-url={{Google Books|id=8-XpE10qpLsC|pg=PA37|plainurl=yes}} |date=2007|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-2519-9|pages=37–46}}</ref> The slim, yellowish tail, unlike the bushy tails of many other mongooses, measures {{cvt|17|to|25|cm}}, and is tipped with black. Females have six nipples.<ref name=ms/> The meerkat looks similar to two [[sympatry|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.<ref name=kingdon/>

The meerkat has 36 teeth with the [[dental formula]] of {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.3.2|lower=3.1.3.2}}.<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/> 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 [[feliform]]s, and enable the meerkat to dig efficiently.<ref name=ms/><ref name="mares">{{cite book |last1=Mares |first1=M. A. |editor1-last=Mares |editor1-first=M. A. |title=Encyclopedia of Deserts |date=1999 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman |isbn=978-0-8061-3146-7 |page=351 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g3CbqZtaF4oC&pg=PA351 |chapter=Meerkat |access-date=19 November 2022 |archive-date=8 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608055233/https://books.google.com/books?id=g3CbqZtaF4oC&pg=PA351 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name=ms/> [[Digitigrade]], the meerkat has four [[Digit (anatomy)|digit]]s on each foot with thick pads underneath.<ref name=kingdon/>

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 [[circadian rhythm|diurnal rhythm]], averaging {{cvt|38.3|C}} during the day and {{cvt|36.3|C}} at night.<ref name=thermo/> As the body temperature falls below the [[thermoneutral zone]], determined to be {{cvt|30|-|32.5|C}}, 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 process]]es. During winter, it balances heat loss by increasing the metabolic heat generation and other methods such as sunbathing.<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/><ref name=thermo>{{cite journal |last1=Müller |first1=E. F. |last2=Lojewski |first2=U. |name-list-style=amp |title=Thermoregulation in the meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'' Schreber, 1776) |journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology |date=1986 |volume=83 |issue=2 |pages=217–224 |doi=10.1016/0300-9629(86)90564-5 |pmid=2869862}}</ref>

==Ecology and behaviour==
[[File:Erdmännchen Zoo Neuwied (2013-04-16 a).JPG|thumb|upright|A pack of meerkats]]
[[File:Suricatos (Suricata suricatta), parque nacional Makgadikgadi Pans, Botsuana, 2018-07-30, DD 28.jpg|thumb|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.<ref name=skinner/> Meerkats are a [[cooperative breeding|cooperatively breeding]] species—typically the dominant 'breeders' in a pack produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate 'helpers' provide [[Altruism (biology)|altruistic]] care for the pups. This division of labour is not as strictly defined as it is in specialised [[eusociality|eusocial]] species, such as the breeder-[[Worker ant|worker]] distinction in [[ant]]s.<ref name=coop/> Moreover, meerkats have a clear [[dominance hierarchy]] with older individuals having a higher social status.<ref name=nowak/><ref name=skinner/> 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.<ref name=coop>{{cite journal |last1=Clutton-Brock |first1=T. H. |last2=Russell |first2=A. F. |last3=Sharpe |first3=L. L. |title=Behavioural tactics of breeders in cooperative meerkats |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2004 |volume=68 |issue=5 |pages=1029–1040 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.10.024 |s2cid=53175143}}</ref>

Packs live in rock crevices in stony areas and in large burrow systems in plains. A pack generally occupies a [[home range]], {{cvt|5|sqkm}} large on average but sometimes as big as {{cvt|15|sqkm}}, containing many burrows {{cvt|50|to|100|m}} apart, of which some remain unused.<ref name=skinner/> 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.<ref name=burrow>{{cite journal |last1=Strandburg-Peshkin |first1=A. |last2=Clutton-Brock |first2=T. |last3=Manser |first3=M. B. |last4=Smiseth |first4=P. |title=Burrow usage patterns and decision-making in meerkat groups |journal=Behavioral Ecology |date=2019 |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=292–302 |doi=10.1093/beheco/arz190|url=http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:352-2-1o41vy54d9f1y8|hdl=2263/76200 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The area near the periphery of home ranges is [[scent mark]]ed using [[anal gland]] secretions<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ewer |first=R. F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IETMd3-lSlkC&dq=suricata&pg=PA239 |title=The Carnivores |date=1998 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-0-8014-8493-3 |language=en}}</ref> mostly by the dominant individuals; there are communal latrines, {{cvt|1|sqkm}} large, close to the burrows.<ref name=skinner/> Packs can migrate collectively in search of food, to escape high [[predator]] pressure and during floods.<ref name=ms/>
[[File:Meerkats fighting at Working with Wildlife.jpg|alt=Meerkats fighting, in South Africa|thumb|Meerkats fighting, in [[South Africa]]]]
[[File:Meercat 2018 Auckland Zoo.jpg|thumb|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.<ref name=ms/><ref name=rafferty/> 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.<ref name=skinner/> Raptors such as [[bateleur]]s, [[martial eagle]]s, [[tawny eagle]]s, and [[pale chanting goshawk]]s are major aerial predators; on the ground, meerkats may be threatened by [[bat-eared fox]]es, [[black-backed jackal]]s, and [[Cape fox]]es.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name=skinner/>

===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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gómez |first1=José María |last2=Verdú |first2=Miguel |last3=González-Megías |first3=Adela |last4=Méndez |first4=Marcos |date=2016 |title=The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |url=http://www.nature.com/articles/nature19758 |journal=Nature |volume=538 |issue=7624 |pages=233–237 |doi=10.1038/nature19758 |pmid=27680701 |bibcode=2016Natur.538..233G |s2cid=4454927|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 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.<ref name=nowak/><ref name=skinner/> A study showed that females who grew faster were more likely to assert dominance, though males did not show such a trend.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=English |first1=S. |last2=Huchard |first2=E. |last3=Nielsen |first3=J. F. |last4=Clutton-Brock |first4=T. H. |title=Early growth, dominance acquisition and lifetime reproductive success in male and female cooperative meerkats |journal=Ecology and Evolution |date=2013 |volume=3 |issue=13 |pages=4401–4407 |doi=10.1002/ece3.820 |pmid=24340181 |pmc=3856740|bibcode=2013EcoEv...3.4401E }}</ref> 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.<ref name=skinner/> Subordinate individuals face difficulties in breeding successfully; for instance, dominant females often kill the litters of subordinate ones. As such, subordinate individuals might [[Dispersal (ecology)|disperse]] to other packs to find mates during the breeding season.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Griffin |first1=A. S. |title=A genetic analysis of breeding success in the cooperative meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'') |journal=Behavioral Ecology |date=2003 |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=472–480 |doi=10.1093/beheco/arg040 |doi-access=free|hdl=10.1093/beheco/arg040 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Young |first1=A. J. |last2=Spong |first2=G. |last3=Clutton-Brock |first3=T. |name-list-style=amp |title=Subordinate male meerkats prospect for extra-group paternity: alternative reproductive tactics in a cooperative mammal |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |date=2007 |volume=274 |issue=1618 |pages=1603–1609 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2007.0316|pmid=17456454 |pmc=2169281}}</ref> Some subordinate meerkats will even kill the pups of dominant members in order to improve their own offspring's position.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Young |first1=A. J. |last2=Clutton-Brock |first2=T. |name-list-style=amp |title=Infanticide by subordinates influences reproductive sharing in cooperatively breeding meerkats |journal=Biology Letters |date=2006 |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=385–387 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2006.0463|pmid=17148410 |pmc=1686192}}</ref> 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 {{cvt|5|km}} a day on twisted paths.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Doolan |first1=S. P. |last2=Macdonald |first2=D. W. |title=Dispersal and extra-territorial prospecting by slender-tailed meerkats (''Suricata suricatta'') in the south-western Kalahari |journal=Journal of Zoology |date=1996 |volume=240 |issue=1 |pages=59–73 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1996.tb05486.x}}</ref><ref name=skinner/> Dispersal appears to be less common in females, possibly because continuing to stay within a pack can eventually win them dominance over other members.<ref name=skinner/> 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.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name=skinner/>

===Burrowing===
[[File:Erdmännchen (107684825).jpeg|thumb|upright|A meerkat sitting close to openings of a warren]]
Meerkat burrows are typically {{cvt|5|m}} in diameter with around 15 openings, though one of dimensions {{cvt|25|by|32|m}} with as many as 90 holes has been reported. These large underground networks comprise two to three levels of tunnels up to {{cvt|1.5|m}} into the ground; the tunnels, around {{cvt|7.5|cm}} high at the top, become broader after descending around a metre. The entrances, {{cvt|15|cm}} 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.<ref name=ms/><ref name=nowak/> 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.<ref name=skinner/>

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.<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/> Temperatures inside burrows typically vary between {{cvt|21|and|39|C}} in summer and {{cvt|-4|and|26|C}} in winter; temperatures at greater depths vary to a much lesser extent, with summer temperatures around {{cvt|22.6|to|23.2|C}} and winter temperatures around {{cvt|10|to|10.8|C}}. 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.<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/> 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.<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/> Activity peaks during the early morning and late afternoon.<ref name=skinner/> Meerkats huddle together to sleep in compact groups, sunbathe and recline on warm rocks or damp soil to adjust their body temperatures.<ref name=kingdon/>

Meerkats tend to occupy the burrows of other small mammals more than constructing them on their own; they generally share burrows with [[Cape ground squirrel]]s 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 mouse|African pygmy mice]], [[Cape grey mongoose]]s, [[four-striped grass mouse|four-striped grass mice]], [[Highveld gerbil]]s, [[rock hyrax]]es, [[slender mongoose]]s, [[South African springhare]]s and [[white-tailed rat]]s.<ref name=ms/><ref name=rafferty>{{cite book |title=Carnivores |chapter=Mongooses and meerkats |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3cibAAAAQBAJ&pg=171 |editor-last=Rafferty |editor-first=J. P. |date=2011 |publisher=Britannica Educational Publishing |isbn=978-1-61530-385-4 |pages=167–174 |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805225824/https://books.google.com/books?id=3cibAAAAQBAJ&pg=171 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Vocalisations===
[[File:Vocalization types of mongooses (meerkat and banded mongoose).jpg|thumb|Calls of meerkats (above) and [[banded mongoose]]s (below)<ref name="Fitch 2012"/>]]
{{further|Signalling theory}}

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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Collier |first1=K. |last2=Townsend |first2=S. W. |last3=Manser |first3=M. B. |title=Call concatenation in wild meerkats |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2017 |volume=134 |pages=257–269 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.014 |s2cid=54376816 |url=http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/85239/3/WRAP-call-concatenation-wild-meerkats-Townsend-2017.pdf |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423184300/https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/85239/3/WRAP-call-concatenation-wild-meerkats-Townsend-2017.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Short-range 'close calls' are produced while foraging and after scanning the vicinity for predators.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Townsend |first1=S. W. |last2=Zöttl |first2=M. |last3=Manser |first3=M. B. |title=All clear? Meerkats attend to contextual information in close calls to coordinate vigilance |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |date=2011 |volume=65 |issue=10 |pages=1927–1934 |doi=10.1007/s00265-011-1202-6 |bibcode=2011BEcoS..65.1927T |s2cid=21919122 |url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/54306/2/Townsend_et_al_All_Clear.pdf |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=8 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608061716/https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/54306/2/Townsend_et_al_All_Clear.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> '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 call]]s' are given out on detecting predators. All these calls differ in their [[acoustics|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.<ref name=call/>

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.<ref name=call/> 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.<ref name=call/> A recruitment call would cause receivers to raise their tails (and often their hair) and move slowly towards the source.<ref name=call>{{cite journal |last1=Manser |first1=M. B. |last2=Bell |first2=M. B. |last3=Fletcher |first3=L. B. |title=The information that receivers extract from alarm calls in suricates |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences |date=2001 |volume=268 |issue=1484 |pages=2485–2491 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2001.1772 |pmid=11747568 |pmc=1088904}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi = 10.1075/is.5.3.02man |last1=Manser |first1=Marta |last2=Fletcher |first2=Lindsay |year=2004 |title=Vocalize to localize: A test on functionally referential alarm calls |journal=Interaction Studies |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=327–344}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Townsend |first1=S. W. |last2=Charlton |first2=B. D. |last3=Manser |first3=M. B. |title=Acoustic cues to identity and predator context in meerkat barks |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2014 |volume=94 |pages=143–149 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.021 |s2cid=53203111 |url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/102628/1/Townsend%20et%20al.pdf |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=14 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214231803/https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/102628/1/Townsend%20et%20al.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Manser |first1=M. B. |last2=Jansen |first2=D. A. W. A. M. |last3=Graw |first3=B. |last4=Hollén |first4=L. I. |last5=Bousquet |first5=C. A. H. |last6=Furrer |first6=R. D. |last7=le Roux |first7=A. |editor1-last=Naguib |editor1-first=M. |editor2-last=Barrett |editor2-first=L. |editor3-last=Brockmann |editor3-first=H. J. |editor4-last=Healy |editor4-first=S. |editor5-last=Mitani |editor5-first=J. C. |editor6-last=Roper |editor6-first=T. J. |editor7-last=Simmons |editor7-first=L. W. |title=Advances in the Study of Behavior |volume= 46 |date=2014 |publisher=Elsevier |location=Amsterdam |isbn=978-0-12-800286-5 |pages=281–310 |chapter=Vocal complexity in meerkats and other mongoose species}}</ref> Meerkat calls carry information to identify the signaling individual or pack, but meerkats do not appear to differentiate between calls from different sources.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schibler |first1=F. |last2=Manser |first2=M. B. |title=The irrelevance of individual discrimination in meerkat alarm calls |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2007 |volume=74 |issue=5 |pages=1259–1268 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.02.026 |s2cid=54420743}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Townsend |first1=S. W. |last2=Hollén |first2=L. I. |last3=Manser |first3=M. B. |title=Meerkat close calls encode group-specific signatures, but receivers fail to discriminate |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2010 |volume=80 |issue=1 |pages=133–138 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.04.010 |s2cid=53172749 |url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/42579/1/Townsend_Hollen_%26_Manser_AB.pdf |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=9 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209135301/https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/42579/1/Townsend_Hollen_%26_Manser_AB.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The calls of banded mongooses also carry a 'vocal signature' to identify the caller.<ref name="Fitch 2012">{{cite journal |last=Fitch |first=W. T. |title=Segmental structure in banded mongoose calls |journal=BMC Biology |date=2012 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=98 |doi=10.1186/1741-7007-10-98 |pmid=23206277 |pmc=3514197 |url= |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Diet===
[[File:Meerkat in Namibia.jpg|thumb|Eating a frog]]
The meerkat is primarily an insectivore, feeding heavily on [[beetle]]s and [[lepidopteran]]s; it can additionally feed on eggs, [[amphibian]]s, [[arthropod]]s (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.<ref name=ms/><ref name=skinner/> They have also been observed feeding on the [[desert truffle]] ''[[Kalaharituber pfeilii]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=J. M. |last1=Trappe |first2=A. W. |last2=Claridge |first3=D. |last3=Arora |first4=W. A. |last4=Smit |name-list-style=amp |year=2008 |title=Desert truffles of the Kalahari: ecology, ethnomycology and taxonomy |journal=Economic Botany |volume=62 |issue=3 |pages=521–529 |doi=10.1007/s12231-008-9027-6|s2cid=34319584 }}</ref> Meerkats often eat [[citron melon]]s and dig out roots and tubers for their water content.<ref name=ms/>

Mongooses spend nearly five to eight hours foraging every day. Like other social mongooses, meerkats in a pack will disperse within {{cvt|5|m}} 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 [[gecko]]s and lizards over several metres.<ref name=ms/><ref name=skinner/> Food intake is typically low during winter.<ref name=kingdon/>
[[File:Pregnant meerkat at Working with Wildlife.jpg|alt=Pregnant meerkat in South Africa|thumb|Pregnant meerkat in [[South Africa]]]]

===Reproduction===
[[File:Baby Meerkats.jpg|thumb|Meerkat pups]]
[[File:Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) mating in Perth Zoo, September 2021 06.jpg|thumb|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 display|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.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name=skinner/>

After a [[gestation]] of 60 to 70 days, a litter of three to seven pups is born. Pups weigh around {{cvt|100|g}} in the first few days of birth; the average growth rate for the first three months is {{cvt|4.5|g}} per day, typically the fastest in the first month.<ref name=kingdon/> A 2019 study showed that growth and survival rates of pups might decrease with increase in temperature.<ref name="Van de Ven-2019">{{cite journal |last1=Van de Ven |first1=T. M. F. N. |last2=Fuller |first2=A. |last3=Clutton-Brock |first3=T. H. |last4=White |first4=Craig |title=Effects of climate change on pup growth and survival in a cooperative mammal, the meerkat |journal=Functional Ecology |date=2019 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=194–202 |doi=10.1111/1365-2435.13468 |doi-access=free|hdl=2263/72555 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

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.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name=skinner/> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=MacLeod |first1=K. J. |last2=Nielsen |first2=J. F. |last3=Clutton-Brock |first3=T.H. |title=Factors predicting the frequency, likelihood and duration of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding meerkat |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2013 |volume=86 |issue=5 |pages=1059–1067 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.012 |citeseerx=10.1.1.912.2106 |s2cid=53152234}}</ref>

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.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name=skinner/> Some helpers contribute to all activities more than others, though none of them might be specialised in any of them.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Clutton-Brock |first1=T. H. |last2=Russell |first2=A. F. |last3=Sharpe |first3=L. L. |title=Meerkat helpers do not specialize in particular activities |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2003 |volume=66 |issue=3 |pages=531–540 |doi=10.1006/anbe.2003.2209|s2cid=53149068 |url=http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6fb8/ee43a8cdef59d2119795ed7139b6dee4a6ab.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226161730/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6fb8/ee43a8cdef59d2119795ed7139b6dee4a6ab.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-02-26}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Clutton-Brock |first1=T. H. |last2=Russell |first2=A. F. |last3=Sharpe |first3=L. L. |last4=Jordan |first4=N. R. |title='False feeding' and aggression in meerkat societies |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=2005 |volume=69 |issue=6 |pages=1273–1284 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.10.006 |s2cid=53176898}}</ref>

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.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name=skinner/> Unable to forage themselves, young pups vocalise often seeking food from their carers.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Manser |first1=M. B. |last2=Avey |first2=G. |title=The effect of pup vocalisations on food allocation in a cooperative mammal, the meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'') |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |date=2000 |volume=48 |issue=6 |pages=429–437 |doi=10.1007/s002650000248|bibcode=2000BEcoS..48..429M |s2cid=24246321 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thornton |first1=A. |first2=K. |last2=McAuliffe |date=2006 |title=Teaching in wild meerkats |journal=Science |volume=313 |issue=5784 |pages=227–229 |doi= 10.1126/science.1128727 |pmid=16840701|bibcode=2006Sci...313..227T |s2cid=11490465 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cd30/5c0e32d229d45a2350db58e9ab79ce48761c.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226141432/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cd30/5c0e32d229d45a2350db58e9ab79ce48761c.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-02-26 }}</ref> The mother runs around with prey in her mouth, prompting her pups to catch it.<ref name=ms/> Pups become independent enough to forage at around 12 weeks of age.<ref name=skinner/> Meerkats are estimated to survive for five to 15 years in the wild; the maximum lifespan recorded in captivity is 20.6 years.<ref name=kingdon/>

Females appear to be able to discriminate the odour of their kin from that of others.<ref name="pmid23234867">{{cite journal |author1=Leclaire S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Nielsen, J.F. |author3=Thavarajah, N.K. |author4=Manser, M. |author5=Clutton-Brock, T.H. |title=Odour-based kin discrimination in the cooperatively breeding meerkat |journal=Biology Letters |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=20121054 |year=2013 |pmid=23234867 |pmc=3565530 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2012.1054 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="pmid22497583">{{cite journal |author=Nielsen, J. F. |name-list-style=amp |author2=English, S. |author3=Goodall-Copestake, W. P. |author4=Wang, J. |author5=Walling, C. A. |author6=Bateman, A. W. |author7=Flower, T. P. |author8=Sutcliffe, R. L. |author9=Samson, J. |author10=Thavarajah, N. K. |author11=Kruuk, L. E. |author12=Clutton-Brock, T. H. |author13=Pemberton, J. M. |title=Inbreeding and inbreeding depression of early life traits in a cooperative mammal |journal=Molecular Ecology |volume=21 |issue=11 |pages=2788–804 |year=2012 |pmid=22497583 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05565.x |bibcode=2012MolEc..21.2788N |hdl=2263/19269 |s2cid=36059683 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> 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 [[Genetic disorder#Autosomal recessive|deleterious recessive mutation]]s.<ref name="pmid3898363">{{cite journal |author=Bernstein, H. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Byerly, H. C. |author3=Hopf, F. A. |author4=Michod, R. E. |title=Genetic damage, mutation, and the evolution of sex |journal=Science |volume=229 |issue=4719 |pages=1277–1281 |year=1985 |pmid=3898363 |doi=10.1126/science.3898363 |bibcode=1985Sci...229.1277B}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Suricatos (Suricata suricatta), parque nacional Makgadikgadi Pans, Botsuana, 2018-07-30, DD 36.jpg|thumb|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.<ref name=iucn /> It lives in areas with stony, often [[calcareous]] ground in a variety of arid, open habitats with little [[woody plant|woody]] vegetation. It is common in [[savanna]]hs, open plains and rocky areas beside dry rivers in [[biome]]s such as the [[Fynbos]] and the [[Karoo]], where the mean yearly rainfall is below {{cvt|600|mm}}. The average precipitation reduces to {{cvt|100|to|400|mm}} towards the northwestern areas of the range. It prefers areas with short grasses and shrubs common in [[veld]]s, such as [[Acacia erioloba|camelthorn]] in Namibia and ''[[Acacia]]'' in the [[Kalahari]]. It is absent from true deserts, montane regions and forests.<ref name=ms/><ref name=kingdon/><ref name="skinner">{{cite book |last1=Skinner |first1=J. D. |last2=Chimimba |first2=C. T. |editor1-last=van der Horst |editor1-first=D. |title=The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion |date=2005 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cape Town |isbn=978-0521844185 |pages=428–432 |edition=3rd}}</ref> Population densities vary greatly between places, and are significantly influenced by predators and rainfall.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dyble |first1=M. |last2=Houslay |first2=T. M. |last3=Manser|first3=M. B. |last4=Clutton-Brock |first4=T. |date=2019 |title=Intergroup aggression in meerkats |url= |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=286 |issue=1917 |page=20191993 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2019.1993 |pmc=6939929 |pmid=31847765}}</ref> 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 {{cvt|0.95|to|0.32|/sqkm}}.<ref name=kingdon/>

==Threats and conservation==
The meerkat is listed as [[Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]]; the population trend appears to be stable.<ref name=iucn /> 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.<ref name="Van de Ven-2019" /><ref name="Paniw-2022">{{Cite journal |last1=Paniw |first1=M. |last2=Duncan |first2=C. |last3=Groenewoud |first3=F. |last4=Drewe |first4=J. A. |last5=Manser |first5=M. |last6=Ozgul |first6=A. |last7=Clutton-Brock |first7=T. |date=2022 |title=Higher temperature extremes exacerbate negative disease effects in a social mammal |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01284-x |journal=Nature Climate Change |language=en |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=284–290 |doi=10.1038/s41558-022-01284-x |bibcode=2022NatCC..12..284P |s2cid=246636557 |issn=1758-678X |hdl=2263/91552 |hdl-access=free |access-date=18 November 2022 |archive-date=16 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116214211/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01284-x |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Van de Ven-2019" /> 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.<ref name="Paniw-2022" />

Meerkats occur in several protected areas such as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the [[Makgadikgadi Pan]].<ref name="kingdon" /> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=KMP research |url=http://kalahari-meerkats.com/kmp/research-publications/ |website=Kalahari Meerkat Project |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=30 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530212756/http://kalahari-meerkats.com/kmp/research-publications/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==In culture==
[[File:Suricata suricatta suricatta 15099290.jpg|thumb|right|Tracks of a meerkat in sand]]
{{main|Meerkats in popular culture}}
Meerkats are generally tame animals.<ref name=ms/> However, they are unsuitable as a pet as they can be aggressive and have a strong, [[ferret]]-like odour.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8716000/8716037.stm |title=Meerkat adverts lead to surge in unwanted pets |publisher=BBC |date=2 June 2010 |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803223247/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8716000/8716037.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> In South Africa meerkats are used to kill [[rodent]]s in rural households and [[lepidoptera]]ns in farmlands. Meerkats can transmit [[rabies]] to humans, but yellow mongooses appear to be more common [[Vector (epidemiology)|vector]]s. 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 disease]]s.<ref name=ms/>

Meerkats have been widely portrayed in movies, television and other media. A popular example is [[Timon and Pumbaa|Timon]] from the [[The Lion King (franchise)|''Lion King'' franchise]], who is an [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] meerkat.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Cheu |editor-first=J. |title=Diversity in Disney Films: Critical Essays on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and Disability |isbn=978-0-7864-4601-8 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yAjjxpvxVDAC&pg=PA129 |chapter="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'' |last=Sweeney |first=G. |pages=129–146 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |date=2013 |publisher=MacFarland & Co. |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805210957/https://books.google.com/books?id=yAjjxpvxVDAC&pg=PA129 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[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.<ref>{{cite episode |title=A Family Affair |episode-link=List of Meerkat Manor episodes |series=Meerkat Manor |series-no=1 |number=1.1}}</ref> Meerkats populated an acidic [[floating island]] in the 2012 film ''[[Life of Pi (film)|Life of Pi]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Faunce |first=T. |title=Life of Pi's acidic island a warning for our warming world |url=http://theconversation.com/life-of-pis-acidic-island-a-warning-for-our-warming-world-11599 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=The Conversation |date=2013 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202093831/https://theconversation.com/life-of-pis-acidic-island-a-warning-for-our-warming-world-11599 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Mammals|Animals|Biology}}
* ''[[The Meerkats]]'', a 2008 documentary feature film
*[[Compare the Meerkat]]
* [[Eusociality]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=Macdonald, D. |title=Meerkats |location=London |publisher=New Holland Publishers |year=1999}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Ross-Gillespie |first1=A. |last2=Griffin |first2=A. S. |title=Meerkats |journal=Current Biology |date=2007 |volume=17 |issue=12 |pages=R442–R443 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2007.03.045 |pmid=17580068 |url=https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(07)01149-9.pdf|doi-access=free |bibcode=2007CBio...17.R442R }}
* {{cite report|last1=Clutton-Brock|first1=T.|last2=Manser|first2=M.|title=Meerkats of the Kalahari: Expedition briefing|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009141632/https://earthwatch.org/atf/cf/%7BBD9A05BF-0860-451E-AA86-7FBF37574C00%7D/cluttonbrock_briefing.pdf|publisher=University of Cambridge|archive-date=9 October 2007|url=https://earthwatch.org/atf/cf/%7BBD9A05BF-0860-451E-AA86-7FBF37574C00%7D/cluttonbrock_briefing.pdf|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Candea |first1=M. |title="I fell in love with Carlos the meerkat": Engagement and detachment in human-animal relations |journal=American Ethnologist |date=2010 |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=241–258 |doi=10.1111/j.1548-1425.2010.01253.x}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Suricata suricatta|Suricata suricatta}}
{{Wikispecies|Suricata suricatta}}
* {{cite web |url=https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Suricata_suricatta.html |title=Meerkat |website=Animal Diversity, University of Michigan}}

{{Carnivora|F.}}
{{Eusociality}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q134015}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mongooses of Sub-Saharan Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Southern Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1776]]
[[Category:Extant Pleistocene first appearances]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of Africa]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber]]
[[Category:Afrikaans words and phrases]]