Fact File: Meerkats
Find out some fun facts about meerkats with Steve and Aneeshwar. Learn about how meerkats like to spend their time, where they sleep and what they eat!
What are meerkats?
Meerkats are small mammals who are members of the mongoose family.听
What do meerkats spend their time doing?
Meerkats spend a lot of their day digging for food with their super sharp claws.听This digging is called foraging.
What do meerkats eat?
Meerkats are omnivores听which means they eat plants and animals.听Meerkats mainly eat insects such as beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and scorpions. They use their sense of smell to sniff out their favourote food.听
Do meerkats dig for anything else?
Meerkats don't just use their excellent digging skills to find food, but also dig underground burrows to sleep in. Their burrows can be 5 metres long with different entrances and tunnels leading to separate rooms.听
Do meerkats live in groups?
Meerkats are very social animals and听live in large groups of up to 50听meerkats. They even take it in turns to babysit the pups and keep look out for danger.听
What is the name for a group of meerkats?
A听group of meerkats is called a mob.听Each morning the mob emerges from the burrow and begins looking for food. Meerkats have rival mobs and have to keep their own mob safe from other meerkats as well as predators.听
What do mobs of meerkats do?
Meerkats work great as a team and have different responsibilities. At least one meerkat will find a high point, perch on its back legs and be on lookout for any predators - this is known as a sentry, some will be forging for food and others will be on babysitting duty, looking after the new pups.听
What would a sentry meerkat do if there was any danger?
If the lookout meerkat spots any danger, they shout about it and all the meerkats scurry for safety, heading for the nearest burrow.
Where do meerkats sleep?
Meerkats literally make their bed! They dig out several sleeping rooms in their听burrow and snuggle on top of each other in a cute pile -听this way, they can share body heat.
Why don't you share any fun facts you've learnt today with your friends and family?听
Meerkat, meerkat!
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