Meerkat looking left
by Flees Photos
Title
Meerkat looking left
Artist
Flees Photos
Medium
Photograph - Home Decor And Giclee Wall Art By Chris Flees
Description
Meerkats are natural skittish and look around almost incessantly. In this image the meerkat was looking to the left.
facts about meerkats:
Meerkats are small mammals belonging to the mongoose family and are native to the southern parts of Africa, primarily the Kalahari Desert.
They are highly social animals that live in groups called mobs or clans, consisting of around 20 to 50 individuals.
Meerkats have a well-developed social structure with a dominant breeding pair at the top of the hierarchy. Other members of the group assist in various tasks such as foraging, babysitting, and keeping watch for predators.
One of the most distinctive features of meerkats is their upright stance and keen observation skills. They often stand on their hind legs, using their tails for balance, to scan the surroundings for potential threats or prey.
Meerkats have excellent eyesight and can spot a predator from a considerable distance. When one individual spots danger, it emits a specific call to alert the rest of the group, and they quickly retreat to their burrows for safety.
Their diet mainly consists of insects, spiders, scorpions, small reptiles, birds, eggs, and occasionally, fruits and vegetation.
Meerkats have a specialized immunity to certain types of venom, enabling them to eat venomous prey like scorpions and snakes without being harmed.
These small mammals are diurnal, which means they are active during the day and spend most of their time foraging for food, grooming each other, and playing.
Meerkats live in elaborate underground burrows, which they dig using their sharp claws. These burrows serve as shelter from extreme temperatures, protection from predators, and places to sleep and rear their young.
The average lifespan of a meerkat in the wild is about 8 to 10 years, but they can live up to 12 to 14 years in captivity.
Meerkats are highly adaptable to their harsh desert environment and can tolerate extreme temperatures, ranging from very hot to very cold.
Female meerkats typically give birth to litters of 2 to 4 pups at a time. The entire group, including the dominant female, helps in raising and caring for the young.
These are just a few fascinating facts about meerkats. They are unique and captivating animals known for their social behavior and impressive survival strategies in the challenging desert habitat.
This image is © Chris Flees all rights reserved
Uploaded
April 2nd, 2014
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