meerkat sitting log the afternoon sunshine

navigate by keyword : africa african alert animal arms brown carnivorous creature cute desert dirt expression face fur guard hair kalahari landscape little looking lookout mammal meercat meerkat mongoose nature profile sand scene sensitive sentry single small southern standing still stump sunlight sunny sunshine suricata suricate suricatta watchful wild wilderness wildlife wood zoo

Meerkat sitting on log in the afternoon sunshine

The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. Meerkats are highly social, and form packs of two to 30 individuals each that occupy home ranges around 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) in area. There is a social hierarchyÃ¢â¬âgenerally dominant individuals in a pack breed and produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate members provide altruistic care to the pups.