Meerkats: Suricata suricatta

1
Meerkats Suricata suricatta

• Shelly Knust and Kelley Lose
• Ecology Project
• Dec. 8, 2000

2
Background Information

• They live in the Kalahari dessert of South Africa
• There is continual renovation of the system,
  which is usually done in the evening
• They live in deep, complex tunnel systems below
  the ground
• several bolt holes for the Meerkats to take cover
  in if there is danger

3
Characteristics

• They live to about 10 years in the wild and 15 on
  captivity
• Short legs with long thin body
• Dark tip at the end of the tail is used for
  identification
• 4 digits on each foot with non-retractable claws
• Their coats are an insulation and exhaust system
• The stomach acts as a solar panel to keep warm
• The dark band around the eyes reduces sun glare
• They have a problem with depth perception
• They depend on smell to find food

4
Diet

• They eat
• worms
• crickets
• Millipedes
• Small rodents
• Lizards
• Small snakes
• Scorpions

• They usually forage in groups, but they catch and
  eat alone, because at times food can be scarce

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Threats

• Martial Eagle and other predatory birds
• When one is spotted by the Sentry, they send an
  alarm to warn the others so they can run for
  cover
• Badgers, jackals, cobras, invading mongooses and
  other meerkats
• Humans

6
Roles of the meerkats

• Live in communities called mobs or gangs
• Sentry
• Babysitter
• Mentor
• Groom
• Excavator

7
Evolution

• The Banded Mongoose
• Evolutionary predecessors of the meerkats
• The Mongoose is usually found in forests,
  marshes, grasslands and scrublands in Africa,
  Europe, Asia, Hawaii and the Caribbean
• The Mongoose is slightly larger
• Prairie Dogs
• Found in the Great Plains of North America and
  occupy the same niche
• Live in colonies or towns
• Eats grasses instead of insects
• Badgers, coyotes, weasels, eagles, hawks, and
  foxes are its main predators

8
Objective

• To observe the meerkats behavior and use that
  information to be able to predict future behaviors

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Materials

• Video Camera
• Tapes
• CDs and a CD burner
• Computer

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Procedure

• Tape the meerkats at the Louisville Zoo at
  thirty-minute increments until ten hours of tape
  is obtained.
• Transfer video onto a CD
• Observe and record data from viewing CD
• Plot data on statistical program
• Make ethogram from results of statistical
  analysis

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Results Total Behavior of Meerkats
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Timeline

• B1Looking
• B2Moving
• B3Digging
• B4Playing
• B5Nuzzling
• B6Sunning

13
Ethogram
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Sources of Error

• Camera-Picture quality
• Weather-Rain
• Presence of Trainer

15
Conclusion

• One can predict the behaviors of the meerkats
  from looking at the ethogram
• Future studies can be done to see if the ethogram
  is accurate

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References

• Bentley, Jonathan. A Meerkat Page. 15 Sep. 2000
  ltfile//C\WINDOWS\TEMP\meercats.htmlgt.
• Levy, Lester. Meerkats.net. 12 Sep. 2000
  lthttp//meerkats.net/info.htmgt.
• Markowitz, Meerkat. Meerkat. 12 Sep. 2000
  lthttp//www.thumper.net/tlkmuck/meerkat.htmgt.

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Refernces Continued

• May 1997 Meerkat. 12 Sep. 2000
  lthttp//ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wildking
  dom/aotm0597.htmgt.
• Meerkat or Suricate. 12 Sep. 2000
  lthttp//www.zoomschool.com/subjects/mammals/mongoo
  se/Meerkatcoloring.shtmlgt.
• Mongoose. 12 Sep. 2000 lthttp//www.enchantedlearni
  ng.com/subjects/mammals/mongoose/Mongooseprintout.
  shtmlgt.

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References Continued

• Mulheisen, Michael, and Brian Pistek. Suricata
  suricatta. University of Michigan Meuseum of
  Zoology. 15 Sep. 2000 lthttp//animaldiversity.ummz
  .umich.edu/accounts/suricata/s._suricattanaritive
  .htmlgt.
• Prarie Dogs. Nebraska Wildlife. 12 Sep. 2000
  lthttp//www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/pdogs.htmlgt.
  
• Suricate. Encyclopedia Burtanica. 12 Sep. 2000
  lthttp//www.britannica.com/seo/s/suricate/gt.

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References Continued

• Underdogs Prarie Dogs at Home. National
  Geographic. 11 Sep. 2000 lthttp//www.nationalgeogr
  aphic.com/burrow/jubpd.htmlgt.