Meerkat

• Usually only the dominant pair breeds; the rest of the group act as volunteer helpers.
• It lives in systems of underground burrows in the Kalahari Desert.
• Animals that make more trips away from the group live shorter lives.
• reproducciónIn some groups the dominant female may drive out pregnant subordinates, a behaviour tied to competition over breeding.
• comunicaciónThey take turns standing sentry on their hind legs while the rest of the group forages, giving different alarm calls for different kinds of predator.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

The Kalahari Desert and arid and semi-arid regions of south-western Africa, in complex underground burrow systems

Birth weight

25-36 g at birth, eyes and ears closed

Size at birth

25-36 g at birth

Sexual maturity

1-3 years (10-12 months usually given in some sources)

Gestation / incubation

60-70 days (~11 weeks)

Litter / clutch size

1 to 8 young per litter (3-4 most often), with up to 3-4 litters a year in the dominant female

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of up to 20.6 years

Sources consulted: JungleDragon; Wikipedia (comparative reference via Bilderreich); Animal Diversity Web; SANBI; A-Z Animals; Marwell Zoo; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); PMC (gestational growth study)