Meerkat facts: not merely cats | Animal Fact Files

Meerkats are mongooses endemic to southern Africa (meaning they're only found living natively in that part of the world). These small mammals live in groups, called mobs, that average 20 members but can reach up to 50 in extreme cases. Members within a mob are friendly towards each other, but rival mobs are met with fighting and hissing. These mongooses are stout and can withstand snake venom as well as the sting of scorpions - in fact, they're downright immune to scorpion stings! Meerkats teach their young to catch food by bringing them scorpions that have had their stingers gnawed off. This gives the babies a chance to learn how to hunt live prey without as much risk of injury. In the meerkat world, all members of the mob help with digging burrows, babysitting, and performing sentry duty.
Scientific Name: Suricata suricatta
Range: southern Africa
Size: 1.5 pounds (680g); 1 foot (30.5cm) tall when standing on their hind legs
Diet: insects and other arthropods like scorpions as well as lizards, bird eggs, and smaller mammals
Lifespan: average of 10 years
✨ Animal Fact Files Patreon Supporters get early access to videos, get their video requests moved to the top of our request list, and more! ✨
👉 / animalfactfiles
You can learn more on:
Twitter - / animalfactfiles
Facebook - / animalfactfiles
---
Rusty Clark - www.flickr.com...
Chermundy - commons.wikime...
Yathin S Krishnappa - commons.wikime...
JaimeLopes - freesound.org/...
jimipoo32 - freesound.org/...
Research Credits:
www.google.com...
www.google.com...
animaldiversit...
www.sciencedir...
nationalzoo.si...
www.lazoo.org/...

[@AGDinCA]

Excellent video! I definitely learned something new. Specifically, I did not know the adult meerkats feed stingerless scorpions to their young. Very interesting! 👍

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Yay! So glad you learned something new and enjoyed the episode! Thanks for watching 😄

[@mk19-12]

I love meertkats so this vid is awsome 😄😄😄😄

[@AnimalFactFiles]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and commenting

[@jadenl629]

Awesome video!😃 The baby meerkats looks so cute!

[@Schelbig]

I’ve always like ring-tailed lemur for an next animal fact files

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Timon from the Lion King is a meerkat.

[@neksol_official]

Bush baby next i love them ✨

[@AnimalFactFiles]

We have them on the list! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@neksol_official]

@@AnimalFactFiles (:

[@Col28]

Adorable!

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Love the sounds they make, too 😄

[@braintwo3398]

Very good video. I always used to call them Mirrorcats

[@AnimalFactFiles]

This is so cute!

[@theanimalshow6538]

Happy new year! And yes, I’m back. Anyways, can you put the yellow-bellied sea snake on the list?

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Hello! Welcome back! I've added this to the list, though in the meantime here's a link to our sea snake episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKS6ZolrmbqhbNU Thanks for watching!

[@theanimalshow6538]

Thank you!

[@srouawai4424]

I really like your sober and informationally dense format. Recently watched the meerkat dynasties episode. A few seconds in I paused, looked if you have a meerkat video (and of course you do) and got the interesting context and information that often gets just left out in BBC's dramatized humanizations. The images that the BBC and their partners are delivering almost always are amazing and state of the art. I just wish their editing would be less cheesy cheese (and "biggest of this subcategory" or "longest of this subcategory"), but contain more relevant info about the acutal animals. I learned more about the lifeform "meerkat" in your 3:40 min video than in that whole dynasties episode.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

We appreciate that! If we had the funding they have to create the images and videos they do we absolutely would, but we're just happy for what we can create in this small form. So glad that the videos help you gather that info quickly and easily. There's space for both types for sure, but there's definitely an abundance of the dramatized stuff ❤️

[@indyreno2933]

A mongoose is any carnivoran representing the family Herpestidae, there are only thirty-six extant species within sixteen genera, they live only in Asia and continental Africa, you will not find mongooses in Madagascar.

[@eskmob1960]

Please do one about the pika

[@AnimalFactFiles]

That's on our list! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@Elephant-Puppet]

@@AnimalFactFiles Please Do the Hare

[@michaelsimko7694]

Interesting video. Never knew meerkats feed on mostly insects. Do a video of opossums.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Sure thing! Here's a link to our opossum video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYeciaCEZtaqpdE Thanks for watching!

[@srbarkerchan]

Why do you think Timon from The Lion King loves grubs so much?

[@jayforerunner965]

Please do a video on Potoo Birds 🙏🏾

[@AnimalFactFiles]

This one seems to be getting a lot of attention recently! I'll bump them up the list for sure! Thanks for watching 😄

[@rattheeternal7658]

Great job!

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Elephant-Puppet]

@@AnimalFactFiles I Enjoyed It Too

[@tayawiggins2562]

Loving the content in these videos! How can I get in contact with this channel?

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Through comments or you can reach us by email at [e-mail] Thanks for watching! =)

[@tayawiggins2562]

@@AnimalFactFiles Awesome thanks! I sent an email :)

[@no7674]

Giant Ostracod next

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Ooh cool request! Thank you!

[@Elephant-Puppet]

can you please do the cow nose ray

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Sure! I'll add them to the list! Thanks!

[@doggiechan5278]

Could you do you urutau or potoo

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Love this suggestion! Thanks! 😄

[@doggiechan5278]

Animal Fact Files You’re welcome