There are three subspecies of meerkat: red, grey and slender-tailed, the subspecies at Zoos Victoria.

Meerkats live in southern Africa, which is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. They are small: 26–28cm (with a 22cm tail).

With safety in numbers, meerkats live in groups of 10–30, with a female in charge of each smaller family unit. Meerkats spend most of the day foraging for food. A lookout stands on a high viewpoint until relieved by another meerkat. Danger can come from threats such as jackals, vultures, snakes, servals or hawks. Meerkats have a wide range of vocalisations, and warning calls are specific to each form of danger. The pack may band together to threaten a predator or rival pack with much hissing and jumping.

Meerkats are omnivorous, and their diet includes pupae and larvae of moths, butterflies, beetles and flies; termites; crickets; spiders; scorpions; and other invertebrates that they excavate. They also eat lizards, small snakes, birds, eggs, and mice. In dry areas they get moisture by chewing local melons, roots and tubers.

OUR MEERKATS

Gidi (Meerkat Bistro exhibit)
Gidi, born in 2004, is a smart fellow. He stays out of the group politics of the female meerkats.

Courtney (Meerkat Bistro exhibit)
Courtney, born in 2004, wants to be the ‘popular' girl but has two other girls to compete with.

Lindsay (Meerkat Bistro group)
Lindsay, born in 2004, vies with Britney for ‘top girl' position.

Britney (Meerkat Bistro exhibit)
Britney, born in 2005, vies with Lindsay for ‘top girl' position and is current dominant meerkat.

Left Spot (Meerkat Bistro exhibit)
Left Spot was born in 2004. She is the ‘outsider' and does her best to stay out of the way of the other three females.

George (Lion meerkat exhibit)
George, born in 2004, is the only male in this group. He is often on watch duties as the two females in his group tend to gang up on him.

Squirrel (Lion meerkat exhibit)
Squirrel, born in 2001, is the dominant female and very alert to her surroundings. She has a stroppy personality.

Moley (Lion meerkat exhibit)
Moley, born in 2002, is gentler than Squirrel and softer in nature.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The average lifespan of meerkats is 12 years, but longer in captivity
• A phenomenal sense of smell helps meerkats locate prey, which they then dig out with their long-clawed forefeet
• In half a day, a meerkat can dig 400 holes and displace 50 times its bodyweight in sand!
• Meerkats appear to be immune to scorpion and snake venom
• The black patches around their eyes help protect against the constant glare of the sun, rather like humans wearing sunglasses