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

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! :)

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 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

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:

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)

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

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

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