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

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.

                         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

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:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suricata_suricatta

http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm#Meerkats are a type of Mongoose

http://www.fellowearthlings.org/