A sign of a well balanced ecology is that there is an even
increase in the population of different species and not just one dominant
species, and it is with great pleasure that we announce a considerable increase
in the population of our resident Meerkat group…..which now numbers nearly 30
with the recent arrival of a whole new generation.
I was fortunate to spot the Meerkats one evening when they seemed
unusually particularly undisturbed by my presence (they normally scarper to the
nearest tunnel or bush) and managed to get a few images of them going about
their normal everyday business…..which includes foraging, looking after the
young and, of course keeping watch for the ever threatening presence of
raptors!!
Her also is a bit of information about Meerkats courtesy of
Wikipedia!
“The meerkat is a small diurnal herpestid
(mongoose) weighing on average about 731 grams
(1.61 lb) for males and 720 grams (1.6 lb) for females. Its long
slender body and limbs give it a body length of 25 to 35 centimetres (9.8 to
14 in) and an added tail length of 17 to 25 centimetres (6.7 to
9.8 in). Its tail is not bushy like all other mongoose species, but is
rather long and thin and tapers to a black or reddish colored pointed tip. 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 that can close to exclude soil when digging. Like cats,
meerkats have binocular vision, a large peripheral range,
depth perception, and eyes on the front of their faces.
At the end of each of a meerkat's
"fingers" is a non-retractable, strong, 2 centimetres (0.79 in)
long, curved 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 fawn-colored peppered with gray, tan, or
brown with a silver tint. 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.
Meerkats are primarily insectivores, but also
eat other animals (lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, plants, eggs, small
mammals, millipedes, centipedes and, more rarely, small birds) and fungi (the
desert truffle Kalaharituber pfeilii[2]). Meerkats are immune to certain types
of venom, including the very strong venom of the scorpions of the Kalahari
Desert, unlike humans.[3] They have no excess body fat stores, so foraging for
food is a daily need.
Meerkats forage in a group with one
"sentry" on guard watching for predators while the others search for
food. Sentry duty is usually approximately an hour long. A meerkat can dig
through a quantity of sand equal to its own weight in just seconds.[4] Baby
meerkats do not start foraging for food until they are about 1 month old, and
do so by following an older member of the group who acts as the pup's tutor.[5]
The meerkat standing guard makes peeping sounds when all is well. If the
meerkat spots danger, it barks loudly or whistles.
Meerkats become sexually mature at about one year of age and can
have one to five pups in a litter, with three pups being the most common litter
size. Wild meerkats may have up to four litters per
year. Meerkats are iteroparous and can reproduce any time of the year but most
births occur in the warmer seasons. The pups are allowed to leave the burrow at
three weeks old. When the pups are ready to emerge from the burrow, the whole
clan of meerkats will stand around the burrow to watch. Some of the adolescents
might try to show off so they can have more attention than the pups.
There is no precopulatory display; the male ritually grooms the
female until she submits to him and copulation begins, the male generally
adopting a seated position during the act. Gestation lasts
approximately 11 weeks and the young are born within the underground burrow and
are altricial (undeveloped).
The young's ears open at about 15 days of age, and their eyes at 10–14 days.
They are weaned around
49 to 63 days. They do not come above ground until at least 21 days of age and
stay with babysitters near the burrow. After another week or so, they join the
adults on a foraging party.
Usually, the alpha pair reserves
the right to mate and normally kills any young not its own, to ensure that its
offspring has the best chance of survival. The dominant couple may also evict,
or kick out the mothers of the offending offspring.
New meerkat groups are often formed by evicted females pairing
with roving males.
If the members of the alpha group are relatives (this tends to
happen when the alpha female dies and is succeeded by a daughter), they do not
mate with each other and reproduction is by group females stray-mating with
roving males from other groups; in this situation, pregnant females tend to
kill and eat any pups born to other females.
Meerkats are small burrowing animals,
living in large underground networks with multiple entrances which they leave
only during the day. They are very social, living in colonies averaging 20–30
members. Animals in the same group regularly groom each other to strengthen
social bonds. The alpha pair often scent-mark subordinates of the group to
express their authority, and this is usually followed by the subordinates
grooming the alphas and licking their faces. This behavior is also usually
practiced when group members are reunited after a short period apart. Most
meerkats in a group are all siblings or offspring of the alpha pair.
Meerkats demonstrate altruistic behavior
within their colonies; one or more meerkats stand sentry, while others are
foraging or playing, to warn them of approaching dangers. When a predator is
spotted, the meerkat performing as sentry gives a warning bark, and other
members of the gang will run and hide in one of the many bolt holes they have
spread across their territory. The sentry meerkat is the first to reappear from
the burrow and search for predators, constantly barking to keep the others
underground. If there is no threat, the sentry meerkat stops signaling and the
others feel safe to emerge.
Meerkats also babysit the young
in the group. Females that have never produced offspring of their own often lactate to
feed the alpha pair's young, while the alpha female is away with the rest of
the group. They also protect the young from threats, often endangering their
own lives. On warning of danger, the babysitter takes the young underground to
safety and is prepared to defend them if the danger follows. If retreating
underground is not possible, she collects all young together and lies on top of
them.
Meerkats are also known to share
their burrow with the Yellow Mongoose and ground squirrel, species with which they do
not compete for resources. If they are unlucky, sometimes they share their
burrow with snakes.
Like many species, meerkat young
learn by observing and mimicking adult behaviour though adults also engage in
active instruction. For example, meerkat adults teach their pups how to eat a
venomous scorpion: they will remove the stinger and help the pup learn how to
handle the creature.[6]
Despite this altruistic
behaviour, meerkats sometimes kill young members of their group. Subordinate
meerkats have been seen killing the offspring of more senior members in order
to improve their own offspring's position.[7]
Meerkats have been known to
engage in social activities, including what appear to be wrestling matches and
foot races.”
Source Wikipedia
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