Species: Suricata suricatta
Common Name: Meerkat
Natural habitat: Meerkats are a small omnivore of the mongoose family found through the Kalahari and Namib Deserts of Southern Africa where temperatures range from below freezing to over 40 c. They dig multi-chamber, complex burrows that can be over 2.4m deep. Meerkats can close their ears when digging to keep out sand and dirt.
Natural foods: They eat insects, eggs, fruit and plants.
Life expectancy: In the wild, Meerkats live up to 10 years and in captivity for 12-15 years.
Other comments: Females typically give birth to 2 – 4 young, but can have as many as 8. Babies are cared for by the whole mob.