Duration: 6:27

8,613 views

34

The meerkat or suricate (Suricata suricatta) is a small carnivoran belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It is the only member of the genus Suricata. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats, but some super-families have 50 or more members. In captivity, meerkats have an average life span of 12–14 years, and about half this in the wild."Meerkat" is a loanword from Afrikaans (pronounced [ˈmɪərkat]). The name has a Dutch origin but by misidentification. In Dutch, meerkat means the guenon, a monkey of the Cercopithecus genus. The word meerkat is Dutch for "lake cat", but although the suricata is a feliform, it is not of the cat family; the word possibly started as a Dutch adaptation of a derivative of Sanskrit markaṭa मर्कट = "ape", perhaps in Africa via an Indian sailor on board a Dutch East India Company ship.
In early literature, suricates were referred to as mierkat. In colloquial Afrikaans, mier means termite, and kat means mongoose. It has been speculated that the name comes from their frequent association with termite mounds or the termites they eat.
Meerkats are known for being incredibly cooperative and ridiculously cute, but there's so much more to discover about these gregarious, often stalwartly erect mammals from Africa.
They're not loners.
Meerkats hang out in large groups — called a mob or a gang. This can be as many as 50 animals, but usually, they stick together in a more manageable congregation of 10-15 individuals. The mob is composed of several family groups, with usually one dominant pair in each family. The meerkat families don't have to be related to belong to the same group. Females are typically the dominant members of the mob.
All members of the mob do their part by helping to collect food, watch for predators, and take care of the babies. The ones acting as lookouts will sound a shrill alarm if they spot a bird of prey, so the rest of the group knows to quickly take cover.
No reason to build a new house if the neighbors have already done it for you. Meerkats are great at digging, but they typically just move into burrows already dug by other animals, such as ground squirrels, they often have as many as 15 entrances and exits with all sorts of chambers and tunnels, some more than six feet deep. There are separate chambers for sleeping and going to the bathroom. A meerkat mob usually has several burrow systems and will relocate every few months.
Meerkats are extroverted and quite chatty with at least 10 different vocalizations. Females tend to be more vocal than males. Some of their sounds include "murmurs, threatening growls and spits, scolding clucks and a defensive alarm bark."
Meerkats know to keep watch for birds of prey. In fact, young meerkats are so afraid of birds that they'll even dive for cover if they see an airplane. A meerkat can spot a soaring eagle more than 1,000 feet away.
******************************************************************

I love to make videos, or video edits with animals. People send me their videos by email or by Instagram. Sending me videos you allow me to use in my compilations :)
If you like the video, give it a "thumbs up" and don't forget to subscribe!

Also, take a look at playlists👉
Animals And Video Games:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYqzXrJmXKXZetimMUf1HjgQAxzU4UxsL
Funny Animals:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYqzXrJmXKXbCui3SiOBjLBdVFhy6Rq0d
Animal Tales:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYqzXrJmXKXa-bN9PclkX82J6rxSsCuyx
******************************************************************

Music used in this video:
Brightly Fancy Oddities - Kevin MacLeod
Happy Mandolin - Media Right Productions
Life of Riley - Kevin MacLeod