Animal Quick Facts
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Size
About 2 pounds and range between 10 and 14 inches tall.
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Color
Grizzled grayish-tan coat that is patterned with black bands on the rear portion of the back. Black bands also rim the eyes.
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Lifespan
10.1 years (median life expectancy of males and females combined)
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Range
South Africa.
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Habitat
Kalahari Desert in the southern part of Africa.
Suricata suricatta
Location in the Zoo: Worlds of Discovery
Meerkats are social animals that live in colonies of up to 30 animals. They live in communities and depend on one another for survival. They dig complex tunnels called burrows.
In the wild, a meerkat’s diet consists of worms, crickets, grasshoppers, small rodents, lizards, small snakes, birds, eggs, fruit, and scorpions. In captivity, meerkats are fed mice, worms and other insects. A meerkat loses 5% of its body weight overnight.
Mating usually takes place between the alpha male and alpha female. Meerkats can reproduce when they are 10 months or older. They can breed every two months, but breeding typically depends on food availability. Litter size is usually two to five pups after a gestation period of 77 days.