Meerkat

The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is a small mongoose, with a broad, rounded head, dark eyes, pointed snout and hindquarters thicker than the front ones. 

The fur is light brown, with brown and reddish spots on the back.

It has a highly developed sense of smell and is characterized by being a curious and inquisitive species.

It is distributed mainly in southern Africa, along dry and open savannahs or plains.

These mammals are essentially diurnal, social and territorial.

They are perfectly organized at the social level. Meerkats form colonies of about ten individuals. As soon as food resources are scarce or exhausted, they do not think twice: they migrate to find a new, more favorable terrain.

Their diet is based on insects, small rodents, lizards and snakes. While searching for food, one of them always acts as sentinel of the group, standing upright on its legs; in this way it watches over the territory and as soon as it detects a danger it emits sounds to alert the rest. It is affectionately called “sentinel of the desert”, given its habit of constantly watching over the group.

Their favorite hobby is sunbathing, both in winter and summer. The breeding season and number of litters will depend on rainfall and availability of food.