So for my last post, I decided to share some of my favorite video clips! Here is one that shows a group of baby meerkat's first experience outside of the den... it is fascinating how easily they warm up to the human observers! The pups are so darn cute :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMIRwCNvI94
This video is made by Simon King and his crew, a wildlife film maker from the UK who has spent much time with meerkats in the Kalahari Desert.
This next video, also from the BBC channel, gives a great example of how meerkats hunt in groups, including a view of the meerkat on sentry duty and the calls they give to warn the group of an incoming threat. It is a good synopsis of the daily hunting routine of meerkats. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Meerkat#p00f3h6l
The National Geographic channel has a great little montage that highlights some of the most interesting facts about meerkats. It is great because it shows how they dig burrows and most importantly--how they eat a living scorpion without getting stung! http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/bugs-animals/spiders-and-scorpions/meerkat/ Forgive the cheesy narrator, its hard to make wildlife videos interesting! ;)
These next two videos are behind-the-scenes clips from Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor. They are interviews with the field researchers who explain some of the behaviors they observe in meerkats on a daily basis. This first one is about how a dominant female is chosen in a meerkat group: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZglquBWYgk&feature=related and this next one is about how the radio collars they put on the meerkats work and how they are able to get them on the meerkats without endangering themselves or the animals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydCMCAwd8Cg&feature=relmfu
So there you go, I hope you found some of these videos interesting! I think they help to provide visual examples to the many topics I have discussed over this blog. I hope you have learned about these cute, cuddly and fascinating creatures in great detail over the course of this blog. I have had a lot of fun researching and writing about them each week! :)
Resources:
http://animal.discovery.com/animals
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Meerkats in the Zoo--Are They Trainable?
I went to the San Diego Zoo for one last trip this semester and couldn't pass up the meerkat habitat, I just love these little critters! One of the zookeepers happened to be in front inviting people to come and ask questions if they had any. I figured this would be a great time to get some more information for my blog! So I decided to ask her about meerkats in captivity and if there are many behavioral differences, and also if meerkats were readily trainable in zoo settings.
The zookeeper had a lot of information. She told me that meerkats in captivity live longer and get to be almost twice the size of wild meerkats! This is due to the abundance of food and the inability to hunt and forage for food and dig new burrows--some of the only ways meerkats get exercise in the wild. She also said many of the meerkats alarm calls fall by the wayside in captivity, since there are no predators to warn the group about. This helps to explain why they were so quiet and lazy last time I observed them at the zoo!
Another interesting thing the zookeeper told me about captive meerkats is that their hierarchy system is somewhat diminished. There is still a clear alpha male and alpha female, but they are not so strict about who can and cannot have offspring. She speculates this is due, again, to the abundance of food and burrow territory, but more research is needed to know exactly why this happens. She also told me meerkats in captivity reproduce twice a year as compared to once a year in the wild, and typically have larger litters.
When I asked about how trainable meerkats are, the zookeeper said despite some of their best efforts, the meerkats here in the San Diego Zoo have not been easily trained. Their one big success story is getting several of the meerkats to use a litterbox! But mostly she believes the meerkats are best left to live as they please and attempts to train them have fallen by the wayside. She said they are very good with human interaction and will readily come up to all zookeepers when they are in their enclosure.
Overall it sounds like the meerkats in captivity here in San Diego live great lives! In comparison to their counterparts in the Kalahari Desert they are practically living in paradise! :)
The zookeeper had a lot of information. She told me that meerkats in captivity live longer and get to be almost twice the size of wild meerkats! This is due to the abundance of food and the inability to hunt and forage for food and dig new burrows--some of the only ways meerkats get exercise in the wild. She also said many of the meerkats alarm calls fall by the wayside in captivity, since there are no predators to warn the group about. This helps to explain why they were so quiet and lazy last time I observed them at the zoo!
Another interesting thing the zookeeper told me about captive meerkats is that their hierarchy system is somewhat diminished. There is still a clear alpha male and alpha female, but they are not so strict about who can and cannot have offspring. She speculates this is due, again, to the abundance of food and burrow territory, but more research is needed to know exactly why this happens. She also told me meerkats in captivity reproduce twice a year as compared to once a year in the wild, and typically have larger litters.
When I asked about how trainable meerkats are, the zookeeper said despite some of their best efforts, the meerkats here in the San Diego Zoo have not been easily trained. Their one big success story is getting several of the meerkats to use a litterbox! But mostly she believes the meerkats are best left to live as they please and attempts to train them have fallen by the wayside. She said they are very good with human interaction and will readily come up to all zookeepers when they are in their enclosure.
Overall it sounds like the meerkats in captivity here in San Diego live great lives! In comparison to their counterparts in the Kalahari Desert they are practically living in paradise! :)
Friday, May 4, 2012
Random & Interesting Facts About Meerkats... Complete with a quiz!
I thought it would be cool to do a post on facts about meerakts that most people don't know. So, here it goes! I'm also including a fun little quiz at the end for everyone to try! Answers will come with the next post :)
-Meerkats only have four toes.
-A male meerkat weighs on average only 1.5 pounds, females typically weigh around 1 or less
-Meerkats use their tails to balance. Their tails can be up to 9 inches long, almost as long as their body!
-If it is cold or rainy outside, meerkats will stay in their burrows and wait out the storm, hunting later in the day instead of the morning.
-Meerkats have ears that can open and close in order to protect them from getting dirt in their ears when they dig burrows.
-A meerkat's average life span is 12-14 years.
-Meerkats can eat scorpions because they are immune to their venom.
-Their is an extremely successful show in England starting an animated meerkat. (Kind of like the Geico Gecko!)
Meerkat Quiz:
Go here to try out the quiz! http://www.fellowearthlings.org/meerkat-trivia.html
Resources:
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/meerkats/quiz
http://www.facts-about.org.uk/facts-about-meerkats.html
http://denisiuk.dev.itechcraft.com/animals-194/small-mammals-9883/meerkat-9892.html/list-categories/page-0
-Meerkats only have four toes.
-A male meerkat weighs on average only 1.5 pounds, females typically weigh around 1 or less
-Meerkats use their tails to balance. Their tails can be up to 9 inches long, almost as long as their body!
-If it is cold or rainy outside, meerkats will stay in their burrows and wait out the storm, hunting later in the day instead of the morning.
-Meerkats have ears that can open and close in order to protect them from getting dirt in their ears when they dig burrows.
-A meerkat's average life span is 12-14 years.
-Meerkats can eat scorpions because they are immune to their venom.
-Their is an extremely successful show in England starting an animated meerkat. (Kind of like the Geico Gecko!)
Meerkat Quiz:
Go here to try out the quiz! http://www.fellowearthlings.org/meerkat-trivia.html
Resources:
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/meerkats/quiz
http://www.facts-about.org.uk/facts-about-meerkats.html
http://denisiuk.dev.itechcraft.com/animals-194/small-mammals-9883/meerkat-9892.html/list-categories/page-0
Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Kalahari Meerkat Project
Browsing thorough links about meerkats, I came across a really cool website about a current long-term research project. It is called the Kalahari Meerkat Project and it is being conducted by a team of researchers interested in the evolution of cooperative behavior in meerkats clans. The team consists of several professors, doctoral and Ph. D. students from Cambridge University and the University of Zurich. Volunteers are also welcome to come learn about the project and help with current studies.
The KMP logo
The project is geared at uncovering both the proximate and ultimate causes of cooperative behavior in meerkats. Several of the current studies include looking into the hormonal variation of male and female meerkats and looking for links to hormones and cooperative behavior. The researchers suspect that it has something to do with their level of glucocorticoids and are in the works of preparing a study to test their hypotheses. Another study is interested in the rise of disease among social groups of animals such as meerkats and is looking into how the naturally occurring disease TB has entered the meerkat population and how it is spreading.
The researchers work with habituated meerkats living in the Kuruman River Reserve in the Kalahari Desert. They work with over 200 meerkats and observe 13 different clans for their studies. All of the meerkats being studied have identification collars on and are used to being around the researchers. Most of them can even be held by the researchers without running away or biting them.
A Kalahari Meerkat Project researcher observing one of the meerkat clans.
The Kalahari Research Project also allows other individual researchers to come and work with their group of habituated meerkats. Their goal is education and better understanding of the meerkat population and will allow other researchers to conduct studies if they fit in with their research goals. There have been a number of very interesting studies conducted by outside researchers associated with the Kalahari Project, ranging from pup exploitation of adult meerkats to the development of the alarm call behavior among individual meerkat clans. This project and its funding allow researchers to learn more about this amazing animal and will hopefully lead to a better understanding and more public awareness of meerkats and the amazing social network that exists among their clans.
The website has a ton of information about the project and continually updates its current studies and findings as they become available. There are volunteer opportunities and ways for individuals to get involved if they would like to do so. You can also access pictures and information about the specific meerkats the Project studies. Check it out and learn more about this awesome project! :)
Website/Resources: http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/index.php?id=home
http://friends.kalahari-meerkats.com/
The project is geared at uncovering both the proximate and ultimate causes of cooperative behavior in meerkats. Several of the current studies include looking into the hormonal variation of male and female meerkats and looking for links to hormones and cooperative behavior. The researchers suspect that it has something to do with their level of glucocorticoids and are in the works of preparing a study to test their hypotheses. Another study is interested in the rise of disease among social groups of animals such as meerkats and is looking into how the naturally occurring disease TB has entered the meerkat population and how it is spreading.
The researchers work with habituated meerkats living in the Kuruman River Reserve in the Kalahari Desert. They work with over 200 meerkats and observe 13 different clans for their studies. All of the meerkats being studied have identification collars on and are used to being around the researchers. Most of them can even be held by the researchers without running away or biting them.
The Kalahari Research Project also allows other individual researchers to come and work with their group of habituated meerkats. Their goal is education and better understanding of the meerkat population and will allow other researchers to conduct studies if they fit in with their research goals. There have been a number of very interesting studies conducted by outside researchers associated with the Kalahari Project, ranging from pup exploitation of adult meerkats to the development of the alarm call behavior among individual meerkat clans. This project and its funding allow researchers to learn more about this amazing animal and will hopefully lead to a better understanding and more public awareness of meerkats and the amazing social network that exists among their clans.
The website has a ton of information about the project and continually updates its current studies and findings as they become available. There are volunteer opportunities and ways for individuals to get involved if they would like to do so. You can also access pictures and information about the specific meerkats the Project studies. Check it out and learn more about this awesome project! :)
Website/Resources: http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/index.php?id=home
http://friends.kalahari-meerkats.com/
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Meerkats as TV stars---a look into Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor
Besides Lion King, meerkats had little to no time in the Hollywood spotlight until the introduction of Meerkat Manor--a British TV program brought to the United States in 2005. This series drew fans instantly--with over 4 million viewers--and ran for 4 seasons until it was canceled indefinitely from Animal Planet's show line-up in 2008.
Meerkat Manor followed a meerkat family the documentary crew named Whiskers, one of many family clans in the Kalahari Desert. The show fictionalized the lives of meerkats and portrayed them as a royal family, making them and their actions seem very humanlike through the use of narrators and comical one-liners about the animal's behaviors. Although somewhat unrealistic, the show gave viewers an insider first-look at how meerkats live their daily lives. Constant filming--including night vision, underground cameras--gave very real depictions of how meerkats interact with one another and their environment on a daily basis.
Critics complained that the show was too unrealistic, making animal behavior seem too human-like and that a meerkat's daily life was portrayed in a way that would be favorable to viewers instead of how it occurs in nature. For instance, many mating scenes were cut out to make the show PG viewable. There was also a lot of editing done to make the show "less boring" and cut out a lot of daily foraging and grooming behavior done by the meerkat clan being followed.
All in all, Meerkat Manor was a huge success. It gave meerkats their "15 minutes of fame" and gave the public more insight into how they live. Some say the success of the show will be beneficial should meerkats ever become a threatened or endangered species. This unusual documentary series put a spin on typical educational films and made it viewable to a wide range of audiences. The Whisker family is now a household name across the world--with viewings not only in the US, the UK and Australia. Watch out Angelina, Flower might be the first meerkat with a star on Hollywood Blvd! :)
Sophie, one of the Whiskers family babysitters looking curiously into the camera
Watch a video about how the researchers made this documentary without hurting the meerkat clan or it's home. Also meet several of the stars of the show! http://animal.discovery.com/videos/meerkat-manor-behind-the-burrow/
Resources:
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/about/about.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerkat_Manor
Meerkat Manor followed a meerkat family the documentary crew named Whiskers, one of many family clans in the Kalahari Desert. The show fictionalized the lives of meerkats and portrayed them as a royal family, making them and their actions seem very humanlike through the use of narrators and comical one-liners about the animal's behaviors. Although somewhat unrealistic, the show gave viewers an insider first-look at how meerkats live their daily lives. Constant filming--including night vision, underground cameras--gave very real depictions of how meerkats interact with one another and their environment on a daily basis.
Critics complained that the show was too unrealistic, making animal behavior seem too human-like and that a meerkat's daily life was portrayed in a way that would be favorable to viewers instead of how it occurs in nature. For instance, many mating scenes were cut out to make the show PG viewable. There was also a lot of editing done to make the show "less boring" and cut out a lot of daily foraging and grooming behavior done by the meerkat clan being followed.
All in all, Meerkat Manor was a huge success. It gave meerkats their "15 minutes of fame" and gave the public more insight into how they live. Some say the success of the show will be beneficial should meerkats ever become a threatened or endangered species. This unusual documentary series put a spin on typical educational films and made it viewable to a wide range of audiences. The Whisker family is now a household name across the world--with viewings not only in the US, the UK and Australia. Watch out Angelina, Flower might be the first meerkat with a star on Hollywood Blvd! :)
Watch a video about how the researchers made this documentary without hurting the meerkat clan or it's home. Also meet several of the stars of the show! http://animal.discovery.com/videos/meerkat-manor-behind-the-burrow/
Resources:
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/about/about.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerkat_Manor
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Meerkats Spotted at the San Diego Zoo!
Here is a picture I took last week when I visited the San Diego Zoo. The meerkats were sitting, sun bathing and waiting to be fed by the zoo assistants who were cleaning out the back of the their habitat. A new pup was supposed to be in the habitat but he was in the hospital for some testing and health treatments. The meerkats weren't very social---but I think it was because they were hungry & focused! :)
Monday, April 16, 2012
Are Meerkats a Threatened Species?
Meerkats are considered to be in the lower risk status when it comes to conservation. This means they don't necessarily qualify as an endangered or vulnerable group, but could likely be that way in the near future if efforts are not taken to stop their slow decline in the wild. According to the IUCN--the International Union for Conservation of Nature--meerkats are in the least concern category, meaning they are not threatened, near threatened, or conservation dependent. In order to qualify for this category, the IUCN must be able to accurately evaluate their population status in nature and make an accurate assessment of their risk of extinction. The risk must be low or close to non-existent in the present for them to get this status.
The only real threat meerkats face in terms of extinction risk is from humans. In places where meerkats live within close distances of humans or have many daily interactions with them, they are often hunted or gassed because of they carry rabies. Although this has not severely hurt the meerkats' population numbers so far, it is a serious concern for their future. Many animal activist and protection groups have tried to sponsor conservation efforts in the areas with the most concern for hunting and gassing of meerkats and have started to bring about awareness of their potential vulnerable status in the near future if such killings keep happening at a quicker rate than the meerkats reproduce. Efforts to move these meerkats to safer locations and efforts to keep human interaction to a minimum in the wild has helped them keep their low concern status to this day.
Meerkats play a crucial part in the wild-life circle in their habitats and their threat or extinction would severely effect many other species. Meerkats provide prey for jackals and eagles and keep the pest infestation to a minimum by making many pest-like insects the staple of their diet. Keeping meerkats at the least concern status they currently hold is beneficial to their entire habitat and ecosystem.
Resources:
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animalfacts/meerkat/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-meerkat.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Meerkat
The scale the IUCN uses to assess animals conservation status.
The only real threat meerkats face in terms of extinction risk is from humans. In places where meerkats live within close distances of humans or have many daily interactions with them, they are often hunted or gassed because of they carry rabies. Although this has not severely hurt the meerkats' population numbers so far, it is a serious concern for their future. Many animal activist and protection groups have tried to sponsor conservation efforts in the areas with the most concern for hunting and gassing of meerkats and have started to bring about awareness of their potential vulnerable status in the near future if such killings keep happening at a quicker rate than the meerkats reproduce. Efforts to move these meerkats to safer locations and efforts to keep human interaction to a minimum in the wild has helped them keep their low concern status to this day.
Meerkats play a crucial part in the wild-life circle in their habitats and their threat or extinction would severely effect many other species. Meerkats provide prey for jackals and eagles and keep the pest infestation to a minimum by making many pest-like insects the staple of their diet. Keeping meerkats at the least concern status they currently hold is beneficial to their entire habitat and ecosystem.
Resources:
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animalfacts/meerkat/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-meerkat.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Meerkat
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Does Nutritional Status Effect Play in Meerkats?
I read a journal article from Animal Behaviour titled: Experimental Provisioning Increases Play in Free-Range Meerkats? by L.L. Sharpe et. al. In this study, the experimenters wanted to see if the long-term nutrition status of a meerkat affected its rate of play. They conducted this study with free-range meerkats living in the Kalahari Desert. They examined both the rate of play--defined as any mutual bodily contact between two or more animals--and the weight of each pup in 7 different litters.
Meerkat pups engaging in play behavior.
There were 3 groups in the study: the non-experimental, or control, group, the long-term provisioning group and the short-term provisioning group. The control group was given nothing and was not disturbed from their normal foraging routine, but was simply observed for play interactions and weighed daily. Play interactions were documented on a one/zero score, meaning that every 20 seconds each pup was observed as either playing (one) or not playing (zero). Their weight was measured in the morning as soon as they emerged from the den and at night before they retreated to their den in order to get a daily weight gain total for each pup. The long-term provisional group was observed in a similar way, but pups from each litter were randomly assigned experimental status. These pups received 12 grams of hard-boiled egg twice a day for 4 weeks. All pups were weighed morning and night and their play was observed on a one/zero score every 20 seconds both in the morning before the group left for foraging and at night when they returned to their den. The short-term provisioning group was treated exactly the same as the long-term group, except that they only received provisions of hard-boiled egg for 4 days. They were weighed and observed just like the other groups.
The results supported their hypothesis that nutritional status is positively correlated with the rate of play in meerkats. Although there was no significant correlation between an individual pup's weight and its rate of play, weight gain over the long-term provisioning experiment was positively correlated with rate of play. Weight gain explained 31% of the variation in rates of play between litter mates in this experimental group. Provisioned pups spent significantly more time playing and less time begging or foraging than the unfed control group. The short-term group displayed very interesting results. During the first hour after receiving their provisions, fed pups played significantly more than the control group, however this effect wore off after the first hour and their was no significant change in rate of play from short-term to control group pups.
These results do confirm that variation in food consumption does have an effect on the rate of play in meerkats. The experimenters believe this is because play requires a significant amount of energy and unfed or hungrier meerkats are going to spend more time and energy foraging or begging for food than engaging in a behavior such as play, which does not directly contribute to their survival. Well-fed meerkats who are not worried about starvation will engage in play more often and interact more socially with their group overall.
This study is especially interesting in relation to meerkats because they are considered to be very social, interactive animals. It is important to understand under what conditions being social facilitates their survival and when it is cut out in order to focus on more important tasks that will help them survive. The experimenters in this study hope to do more studies in the future to better understand this correlation and to try and understand more clearly the function of play in not only meerkats, but animals in general, as this is a somewhat understudied area of animal behavior.
References:
There were 3 groups in the study: the non-experimental, or control, group, the long-term provisioning group and the short-term provisioning group. The control group was given nothing and was not disturbed from their normal foraging routine, but was simply observed for play interactions and weighed daily. Play interactions were documented on a one/zero score, meaning that every 20 seconds each pup was observed as either playing (one) or not playing (zero). Their weight was measured in the morning as soon as they emerged from the den and at night before they retreated to their den in order to get a daily weight gain total for each pup. The long-term provisional group was observed in a similar way, but pups from each litter were randomly assigned experimental status. These pups received 12 grams of hard-boiled egg twice a day for 4 weeks. All pups were weighed morning and night and their play was observed on a one/zero score every 20 seconds both in the morning before the group left for foraging and at night when they returned to their den. The short-term provisioning group was treated exactly the same as the long-term group, except that they only received provisions of hard-boiled egg for 4 days. They were weighed and observed just like the other groups.
The results supported their hypothesis that nutritional status is positively correlated with the rate of play in meerkats. Although there was no significant correlation between an individual pup's weight and its rate of play, weight gain over the long-term provisioning experiment was positively correlated with rate of play. Weight gain explained 31% of the variation in rates of play between litter mates in this experimental group. Provisioned pups spent significantly more time playing and less time begging or foraging than the unfed control group. The short-term group displayed very interesting results. During the first hour after receiving their provisions, fed pups played significantly more than the control group, however this effect wore off after the first hour and their was no significant change in rate of play from short-term to control group pups.
These results do confirm that variation in food consumption does have an effect on the rate of play in meerkats. The experimenters believe this is because play requires a significant amount of energy and unfed or hungrier meerkats are going to spend more time and energy foraging or begging for food than engaging in a behavior such as play, which does not directly contribute to their survival. Well-fed meerkats who are not worried about starvation will engage in play more often and interact more socially with their group overall.
This study is especially interesting in relation to meerkats because they are considered to be very social, interactive animals. It is important to understand under what conditions being social facilitates their survival and when it is cut out in order to focus on more important tasks that will help them survive. The experimenters in this study hope to do more studies in the future to better understand this correlation and to try and understand more clearly the function of play in not only meerkats, but animals in general, as this is a somewhat understudied area of animal behavior.
References:
L.L. Sharpe, T.H. Clutton-Brock, P.N.M. Brotherton, E.Z. Cameron, M.I. Cherry, Experimental provisioning increases play in free-ranging meerkats, Animal Behaviour, Volume 64, Issue 1, July 2002, Pages 113-121, ISSN 0003-3472, 10.1006/anbe.2002.3031. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347202930319)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Anti-Predatory Behavior of Meerkats
Meerkats are socially foraging animals and therefore do not engage in predatory behavior. The only live food they eat consists of insects and very rarely small rodents, so they do not have a high need to engage in predatory behavior. This being said, meerkats are small in stature and are the prime target meal for many animals--including birds such as hawks and eagles. For this reason, meerkats must engage in anti-predatory behavior in order to keep themselves and their group members alive.
The anti-predatory behavior most seen in the meerkat species is alarm-sounding. Like I discussed in previous posts, one meerkat is on sentry duty at all time (unless the entire group is in their underground burrow system) and it is this meerkat's job to alarm the group to any intruding predators. If a potential predator becomes visible to the sentry, they will let out a familiar high-pitched bark that warns the others that they are in danger and should run for cover and protect the young meerkats in the group. This alarm call also functions as a scare-tactic and will sometimes warn predators and make them retreat.
Meerkats standing alert and watching for predators.
Meerkats who are not on sentry duty also display anti-predatory behaviors. If a predator becomes visible or a warning alarm is sounded, meerkats will either maintain a tall, alert stance (mainly the males in the group) or crouch down to cover the young meerkats who have not yet learned self defense. A meerkat may also run for cover if the burrow is close or the danger is too immediate. If the group is relatively close together, they will engage in mobbing of the predator, a technique I described in a previous post. If a meerkat faces a predator on its own, it will quickly lay on its back and bare its teeth and claws, growling and barking to try to get the predator to retreat. This is a defensive move that protects the meerkats back and spinal cord--making it less likely that they will sustain a life-threatening injury if an attack ensues.
Meerkats covering their young for protection from predators.
Much of the anti-predator behaviors displayed by meerkats are taught to the young both through actual experience with predators approaching the group and through observational learning of the older meerkats by the younger ones. The certain alarm calls made by meerkats on sentry duty is also thought to be a learned skill since each group has their own, slightly different alarm call.
A meerkat in defensive stance, with teeth bared.
Living in groups greatly increases the chances of a meerkat's survival, since the alarm call from the sentry accounts for a majority of the winning encounters with prey. The use of this and other anti-predatory behaviors by meerkats allows them to do an extensive amount of foraging without worrying about getting eaten by the many predators roaming nearby.
Resources:
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/366/1567/978.full
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/hustad_aman/Interactions.htm
http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/mk_db/?p=115
The anti-predatory behavior most seen in the meerkat species is alarm-sounding. Like I discussed in previous posts, one meerkat is on sentry duty at all time (unless the entire group is in their underground burrow system) and it is this meerkat's job to alarm the group to any intruding predators. If a potential predator becomes visible to the sentry, they will let out a familiar high-pitched bark that warns the others that they are in danger and should run for cover and protect the young meerkats in the group. This alarm call also functions as a scare-tactic and will sometimes warn predators and make them retreat.
Meerkats who are not on sentry duty also display anti-predatory behaviors. If a predator becomes visible or a warning alarm is sounded, meerkats will either maintain a tall, alert stance (mainly the males in the group) or crouch down to cover the young meerkats who have not yet learned self defense. A meerkat may also run for cover if the burrow is close or the danger is too immediate. If the group is relatively close together, they will engage in mobbing of the predator, a technique I described in a previous post. If a meerkat faces a predator on its own, it will quickly lay on its back and bare its teeth and claws, growling and barking to try to get the predator to retreat. This is a defensive move that protects the meerkats back and spinal cord--making it less likely that they will sustain a life-threatening injury if an attack ensues.
Much of the anti-predator behaviors displayed by meerkats are taught to the young both through actual experience with predators approaching the group and through observational learning of the older meerkats by the younger ones. The certain alarm calls made by meerkats on sentry duty is also thought to be a learned skill since each group has their own, slightly different alarm call.
Living in groups greatly increases the chances of a meerkat's survival, since the alarm call from the sentry accounts for a majority of the winning encounters with prey. The use of this and other anti-predatory behaviors by meerkats allows them to do an extensive amount of foraging without worrying about getting eaten by the many predators roaming nearby.
Resources:
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/366/1567/978.full
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/hustad_aman/Interactions.htm
http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/mk_db/?p=115
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Meerkat Reproduction
Meerkats are an iteroparous species, meaning they can reproduce at any time of the year--although many of the births happen in the summer season when it is warm and food sources are plentiful. Although meerkats live in groups and raise their young in a communal way, only the alpha male and female of each group are allowed to reproduce. The alpha female is a position that is fought for and is typically won by the largest female in the group. The alpha male is similarly decided. If the alpha female dies, she is typically replaced by a member that shares her or the alpha male's familial lines--such as her daughter, sister. etc.--and when this occurs reproduction among the alphas ceases to happen.
Beta females can also reproduce. This often happens with roaming males or males of outside groups, but can sometimes be with beta males from their same group. Their pups are immediately in danger since the alpha female only allows her own pups to live in the group and will kill and eat the beta's pups if she finds them. Many beta females will abort their pregnancy prior to giving birth and some will attempt to integrate their pups with the alpha's pups, hoping no one will notice. This seldom works and often leads to their pups getting killed. Some beta females will leave when they get pregnant and will either try to form their own group or join and become the alpha female of another existing group.
A female meerkat's gestation period is 70 days. They have between 3 and 5 pups to a litter and have, on average, 4 litters a year. When the alpha female is ready to mate she will chase all of the female-bearing meerkats from the group (this being any female that is of pup-bearing age--10 months or older). These outcasted females will follow the group but will not be allowed back in until the alpha female has her pups and regains enough strength to walk around and forage again. This outcast period is often when beta females will become pregnant from roaming males, but they will often abort these births since they will soon have to help care for the alpha's pups. Once the beta females are allowed back into the group, they all pitch in and start to care for and feed the pups. Females who are able to bear pups are often able to lactate and help the alpha female in feeding the pups while she goes out to feed and forage for food for the group. Interestingly, if an alpha's pups die, no one will eat it. If an alpha pup is killed, the meerkat who did the killing will be ejected from the group.
Meerkat female towards the end of gestation.
Meerkat pups are not born completely functional. They are born hairless and with their eyes closed. It takes about 2 weeks for them to be able to open their eyes and several more days for their ears to function. No pups leave the burrow for the first 3 weeks of their life. During this time the females take turns babysitting them inside the burrow when the group goes out to look for food. After 3 weeks, the pups can leave with supervision, and often accompany the older meerkats on foraging trips. They learn how to find food and the older meerkats mentor them and feed them until they learn to become self-sufficient--which takes about 2 or 3 months. At this time they are on their own to find food and are no longer dependent on the elder meerkats. It is very important that the pups are taught how to find food because they are born with virtually no instinctual behaviors for feeding themselves.
Meerkat pups drinking milk from an adult female in their group.
Meerkats are sexually mature at 10 months and will either leave the group at this time or stay with the group and become a beta female or male. Sometimes they will leave in groups to form their own group in order to have a chance for reproduction. Some meerkats will stay in their birthing group for up to 3 years before venturing out to a new group. The alpha male and female will mate for life, as long as neither of them is fought out of the position.
A pup meerkat shortly after leaving the burrow for the first time.
Meerkat groups definitely live by the motto: "It takes a village to raise a child"--or in this case a pup! :)
Resources:
http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm#Mating and reproduction
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/meerkats3.htm
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/313/5784/227.abstract
Beta females can also reproduce. This often happens with roaming males or males of outside groups, but can sometimes be with beta males from their same group. Their pups are immediately in danger since the alpha female only allows her own pups to live in the group and will kill and eat the beta's pups if she finds them. Many beta females will abort their pregnancy prior to giving birth and some will attempt to integrate their pups with the alpha's pups, hoping no one will notice. This seldom works and often leads to their pups getting killed. Some beta females will leave when they get pregnant and will either try to form their own group or join and become the alpha female of another existing group.
A female meerkat's gestation period is 70 days. They have between 3 and 5 pups to a litter and have, on average, 4 litters a year. When the alpha female is ready to mate she will chase all of the female-bearing meerkats from the group (this being any female that is of pup-bearing age--10 months or older). These outcasted females will follow the group but will not be allowed back in until the alpha female has her pups and regains enough strength to walk around and forage again. This outcast period is often when beta females will become pregnant from roaming males, but they will often abort these births since they will soon have to help care for the alpha's pups. Once the beta females are allowed back into the group, they all pitch in and start to care for and feed the pups. Females who are able to bear pups are often able to lactate and help the alpha female in feeding the pups while she goes out to feed and forage for food for the group. Interestingly, if an alpha's pups die, no one will eat it. If an alpha pup is killed, the meerkat who did the killing will be ejected from the group.
Meerkat pups are not born completely functional. They are born hairless and with their eyes closed. It takes about 2 weeks for them to be able to open their eyes and several more days for their ears to function. No pups leave the burrow for the first 3 weeks of their life. During this time the females take turns babysitting them inside the burrow when the group goes out to look for food. After 3 weeks, the pups can leave with supervision, and often accompany the older meerkats on foraging trips. They learn how to find food and the older meerkats mentor them and feed them until they learn to become self-sufficient--which takes about 2 or 3 months. At this time they are on their own to find food and are no longer dependent on the elder meerkats. It is very important that the pups are taught how to find food because they are born with virtually no instinctual behaviors for feeding themselves.
Meerkats are sexually mature at 10 months and will either leave the group at this time or stay with the group and become a beta female or male. Sometimes they will leave in groups to form their own group in order to have a chance for reproduction. Some meerkats will stay in their birthing group for up to 3 years before venturing out to a new group. The alpha male and female will mate for life, as long as neither of them is fought out of the position.
Meerkat groups definitely live by the motto: "It takes a village to raise a child"--or in this case a pup! :)
Resources:
http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm#Mating and reproduction
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/meerkats3.htm
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/313/5784/227.abstract
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Territorial Behavior of Meerkats
Meerkats are extremely social animals. They can be observed interacting with one another--doing things such as grooming, wrestling and "communicating" with their fellow gang members. The babies of the females can often be found playing with the other babies in the gang and their is a community babysitter assigned to watch all of the babies while the others look for food. As I said in the last post, they also take turns on sentry duty to alert the gang of potential dangers.
Meerkat babies playing and wrestling.
Because community living is so crucial to the meerkat's survival, they are rarely territorial towards members of their gang. Instances of fighting can be seen when a meerkat invades another's space for food or between the alpha males and other males during mating season, but in general the meerkats of a certain gang are very respectful of one another.
Meerkat territorial behavior is seen between rival gangs. If one gang starts to encroach on another gang's burrow system, they will start to dig furiously and create a dust cloud in order to distract the attacking gang and get them to go away. If the gang continues to approach, a fight will break out. Both gangs will engage in what is called "mobbing"--grouping together, fluffing out their fur, jumping and barking loudly--in order to make themselves look bigger and stronger than their opponent. If the alpha male decides the gang has a good chance of fighting successfully, he will give a signal to go ahead and fight. At this point, each meerkat (besides the babies and the assigned babysitter/protector) will go after a rival meerkat and attempt to kill them. Sometimes meerkats will double -team the dominant male/female of the opposing group in order to decrease the chances of the gangs survival.
2 rival meerkats fighting over territory.
The end of the fight is signaled by either the death or abandonment of an entire gang. The alpha male will determine the win and either signal for the fleeing of the remaining surviving members or alert the gang that they are now safe and the fight is over.
Territorial fighting can also be seen between meerkats when a beta male or female breaks off from his/her gang and tries to join a new one in hopes of finding a better chance for mating. The new gang will initially see this as an intrusion and start a fight with the lone meerkat. If they survive and successfully integrate into the new gang, they will be accepted by other members and no longer be seen as an intruder. In some cases, a couple of beta males/females will group together and try to take over an existing gang. This is a rare win, but if they do succeed, they automatically become the new alpha male and female for that gang.
Overall, meerkats are not very ferocious animals. They show much affection and care for their fellow gang members, often marking them with their scent, grooming and licking them--activities that are only done to accepted gang members. Much fighting is done together in order to protect the gang and their home. Moral of the story: meerkats may look nice, cute and friendly, but mess with their gang and you're in trouble!
Same-gang meerkats grooming each other.
Resources:
http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm
http://ladywildlife.com/animals/meerkat.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/meerkats.html
Because community living is so crucial to the meerkat's survival, they are rarely territorial towards members of their gang. Instances of fighting can be seen when a meerkat invades another's space for food or between the alpha males and other males during mating season, but in general the meerkats of a certain gang are very respectful of one another.
Meerkat territorial behavior is seen between rival gangs. If one gang starts to encroach on another gang's burrow system, they will start to dig furiously and create a dust cloud in order to distract the attacking gang and get them to go away. If the gang continues to approach, a fight will break out. Both gangs will engage in what is called "mobbing"--grouping together, fluffing out their fur, jumping and barking loudly--in order to make themselves look bigger and stronger than their opponent. If the alpha male decides the gang has a good chance of fighting successfully, he will give a signal to go ahead and fight. At this point, each meerkat (besides the babies and the assigned babysitter/protector) will go after a rival meerkat and attempt to kill them. Sometimes meerkats will double -team the dominant male/female of the opposing group in order to decrease the chances of the gangs survival.
The end of the fight is signaled by either the death or abandonment of an entire gang. The alpha male will determine the win and either signal for the fleeing of the remaining surviving members or alert the gang that they are now safe and the fight is over.
Territorial fighting can also be seen between meerkats when a beta male or female breaks off from his/her gang and tries to join a new one in hopes of finding a better chance for mating. The new gang will initially see this as an intrusion and start a fight with the lone meerkat. If they survive and successfully integrate into the new gang, they will be accepted by other members and no longer be seen as an intruder. In some cases, a couple of beta males/females will group together and try to take over an existing gang. This is a rare win, but if they do succeed, they automatically become the new alpha male and female for that gang.
Overall, meerkats are not very ferocious animals. They show much affection and care for their fellow gang members, often marking them with their scent, grooming and licking them--activities that are only done to accepted gang members. Much fighting is done together in order to protect the gang and their home. Moral of the story: meerkats may look nice, cute and friendly, but mess with their gang and you're in trouble!
Resources:
http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm
http://ladywildlife.com/animals/meerkat.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/meerkats.html
Monday, February 20, 2012
What Meerkats Eat & How They Find Their Food
Meerkats are primarily insectivores, eating worms, crickets, grasshoppers, scorpions and ant larvae as main dietary sources. They will also occasionally indulge in a meal of small rodents, reptiles, snakes or birds--but only when food is plentiful and several meerkats can join in on the kill. Meerkats forage in the same area, but they eat alone since the portions of their meal only amount to enough food for one animal. They will usually search for food within 6-45 feet of another meerkat so as to not invade one another's space. The amount of distance they leave depends on how plentiful the food source is in that area. If it is sparse, they have to spread out more to find enough food for everyone to consume.
As I said in the last post, meerkats live in a community and this is true even when foraging. The clan sends one of its members to be the "sentry"--or lookout. This is usually the meerkat that is best fed at the time and this duty (lasting about an hour at a time) cycles through members of the clan, with both male and female adult meerkats taking over the post. The sentry is in charge of looking for potential danger while the others forage for food. If trouble is sensed, the lookout will whistle or bark an alarm to alert the members of the danger coming. The clan then bands together in what is called a mob--the term for a clan of meerkats in fighting mode--and gets ready to fend off any attackers.
A meerkat on sentry duty for the clan.
Since the act of foraging does hold potential for danger, pups are left in the den with several meerkats who are on babysitting duty. Some of the meerkats who are out foraging are in charge of collecting enough food to bring back for its members who are in the den. The young pups are slowly allowed to shadow their parents on foraging trips and learn how to forage on their own as they get older. The most important trick the pups are taught is how to take the stinger off of scorpions--one of the most popular and plentiful meals for meerkats.
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A mother teaching its young pup how to properly eat a scorpion.
Meerkats often have to search far underground for their food, since insects burrow for shade and moisture. Their front claws are curved, which allows them to dig very deep, very quickly. In the summer when insects are especially far underground, a meerkat might have to dig its own body weight just to find a meal! Being immune to several insect poisons allows meerkats to eat a variety of insects that are inedible to many other animals. Meerkats drag a poisonous insect--such as a scorpion or millipede--around in the dirt to get rid of the poisonous chemicals secreted. They then quickly bite off the stinger and eat the rest of the body for nutrients. Since other animals in their environment cannot eat poisonous insects so easily, the meerkat usually has a lush supply of scorpions and other poisonous insects to feed their appetite.
Meerkats foraging at the Adelaide Zoo in Australia.
Since meerkats do not have body fat stores, they must forage daily in order to survive. They do not reserve fat or nutrients to last them, they must constantly find food to fill them up. This is usually not difficult since the staple of their diet--insects--are often plentiful and easy to find. Interestingly, meerkats do not need a constant water source, as they get plenty of liquid from the insects they ingest. If a water hole is near they will most definitely take a drink, but their day to day water consumption is done through the eating of the insects and small reptiles they find while digging.
Resources:
http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm#Meerkat cuisine
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/meerkats1.htm
http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/index.php?id=faq_meerkat_bio#c628
As I said in the last post, meerkats live in a community and this is true even when foraging. The clan sends one of its members to be the "sentry"--or lookout. This is usually the meerkat that is best fed at the time and this duty (lasting about an hour at a time) cycles through members of the clan, with both male and female adult meerkats taking over the post. The sentry is in charge of looking for potential danger while the others forage for food. If trouble is sensed, the lookout will whistle or bark an alarm to alert the members of the danger coming. The clan then bands together in what is called a mob--the term for a clan of meerkats in fighting mode--and gets ready to fend off any attackers.
Since the act of foraging does hold potential for danger, pups are left in the den with several meerkats who are on babysitting duty. Some of the meerkats who are out foraging are in charge of collecting enough food to bring back for its members who are in the den. The young pups are slowly allowed to shadow their parents on foraging trips and learn how to forage on their own as they get older. The most important trick the pups are taught is how to take the stinger off of scorpions--one of the most popular and plentiful meals for meerkats.
.jpg)
Meerkats often have to search far underground for their food, since insects burrow for shade and moisture. Their front claws are curved, which allows them to dig very deep, very quickly. In the summer when insects are especially far underground, a meerkat might have to dig its own body weight just to find a meal! Being immune to several insect poisons allows meerkats to eat a variety of insects that are inedible to many other animals. Meerkats drag a poisonous insect--such as a scorpion or millipede--around in the dirt to get rid of the poisonous chemicals secreted. They then quickly bite off the stinger and eat the rest of the body for nutrients. Since other animals in their environment cannot eat poisonous insects so easily, the meerkat usually has a lush supply of scorpions and other poisonous insects to feed their appetite.
Since meerkats do not have body fat stores, they must forage daily in order to survive. They do not reserve fat or nutrients to last them, they must constantly find food to fill them up. This is usually not difficult since the staple of their diet--insects--are often plentiful and easy to find. Interestingly, meerkats do not need a constant water source, as they get plenty of liquid from the insects they ingest. If a water hole is near they will most definitely take a drink, but their day to day water consumption is done through the eating of the insects and small reptiles they find while digging.
Resources:
http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm#Meerkat cuisine
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/meerkats1.htm
http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/index.php?id=faq_meerkat_bio#c628
Sunday, February 12, 2012
How Timon & His Family Came To Be...
The meerkat species has been most popularized by Disney's The Lion King--where the inspiration for this blog started--as well as Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor, a show dedicated to documenting the daily ins and outs of this adorable little creature. The meerkat's name can be confusing, as it is not a member of the cat family--even though the Dutch meaning of the word meerkat is "lake cat." It is believed that the name started as a spin-off of the Dutch word for monkey, as this is what African sailors on Dutch ships were familiar with. They attached the name to the wrong animal! Meerkats are actually a member of the mongoose family (herpestidae). Their genus name-- Suricata is also Dutch and translates to "little stick tail." The binomial name for a meerkat is Suricata suricatta, and 3 subspecies have been identified (siricata--the ones that look like Timon, majoriae, and iona) .
(A clan of Suricata suricatta sircata meerkats in Africa)
Meerkats live mainly in Southern Africa. They can be found extensively in the Namib and Kalahari deserts. Their close relatives are the Yellow mongoose and the Slender mongoose, both of which live in Southern Africa and can be found living in harmony with many meerkat clans, since they do not compete for the same resources. Meerkats build extensive underground burrows, called dens, which have many tunnels, entrances and "rooms" for all of the clan members to live in. The typical clan (which consists of 20-40 meerkats) has between 6 and 15 dens in their territorial area and they move dens every 1-2 days in order to stay away from predators. Meerkats are extremely social animals and their clan is a community with very specific roles and hierarchies. Since they are such small animals, living in groups and delegating roles helps to keep them safe.
It is thought that meerkats evolved from the banded mongoose in the southern tip of Africa. An extinct subspecies has been found there and seems to resemble most closely the banded mongoose. The meerkat is the only mongoose known to stand for long periods of time, and it is thought that this adaptive behavior aids in their survival by making them taller and more able to watch for predators. When meerkats are on all fours they are only 6" tall, but when they stand they are almost 12" tall.
The meerkat spends a majority of their time in the wild guarding its clan from predators and foraging for food. For this reason, meerkats in captivity act quite differently than they would in the wild. Since food is abundant and predators do not exist, captive meerkats are not quite as vocal or active. They grow much larger and live longer than the typical wild meerkat. They do quite well in captivity, but making a meerkat a pet is not common, nor advised! They are agressive towards intruders and will not be happy about guests coming into their home. They also require a very specific climate that would be hard to keep in a residential area. Meerkats should remain in Africa and in zoos where they can be properly cared for and live happily :)
Sources:
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