Meerkat
A species of Meerkat, Also known as Slender-tailed meerkat Scientific name : Suricata suricatta Genus : Meerkat
Meerkat, A species of Meerkat
Also known as:
Slender-tailed meerkat
Scientific name: Suricata suricatta
Genus: Meerkat
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Bernard DUPONT , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The meerkat is a small diurnal herpestid (mongoose) weighing on average about 0.5 to 2.5 kilograms (1.1 to 5.5 lb). Its long slender body and limbs give it a body length of 35 to 50 centimetres (14 to 20 in) and an added tail length of around 25 centimetres (9.8 in). The meerkat uses its tail to balance when standing upright, as well as for signaling. Its face tapers, coming to a point at the nose, which is brown. The eyes always have black patches around them, and they have small black crescent-shaped ears. Meerkats have binocular vision, with two eyes on the front of the face. At the end of each of a meerkat's "fingers" is a claw used for digging burrows and digging for prey. Claws are also used with muscular hindlegs to help climb trees. Meerkats have four toes on each foot and long slender limbs. The coat is usually peppered gray, tan, or brown with silver. They have short parallel stripes across their backs, extending from the base of the tail to the shoulders. The patterns of stripes are unique to each meerkat. The underside of the meerkat has no markings, but the belly has a patch which is only sparsely covered with hair and shows the black skin underneath. The meerkat uses this area to absorb heat while standing on its rear legs, usually early in the morning after cold desert nights. 
General Info
Lifespan
10-15 years
Diet
The diet of meerkat is primarily inclined towards invertebrates, including beetles, spiders, and scorpions. This omnivorous mammal also consumes small vertebrates, eggs, and occasionally plant matter, displaying foraging behaviour during dawn and dusk.
Appearance
Meerkat is a small mammal with a slender, elongated body covered in short fur, predominantly fawn in color, bracketed by lighter underparts and darker stripes across the back. Its notable features include large, rounded ears, dark eye marks akin to a raccoon's, and a long, tapering tail with black and yellow banding toward the end. There are no significant differences in appearance amongst age, gender, or subspecies.
Behavior
Meerkat exhibits highly social behavior, often forming groups called clans, comprising of multiple family units. These diurnal creatures engage in play-fighting, grooming, and communal sunbathing during the day. Vigilant sentinel behavior is displayed where individuals take turns searching for predators, while the clan forages. Remarkably, they utilize a sophisticated system of burrows for protection and thermoregulation. They also exhibit territorial behavior with dominant males marking the areas frequently.
Population
Stable
Scientific Classification
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