h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What type of animal, where do they live, and any other info you may have?

thanks

A meercat (also spelt meerkat) is a mongoose. They live in southern Africa. There are several types. They're carnivorous, eating insects and other small animals. They live in family groups and are very sociable. The adults (aunts and uncles etc) do a lot of babysitting and seem to really enjoy being with the youngsters - tolerating all sorts of liberties taken by the young. When they're foraging, one or more of the troop is assigned, or assigns itself to keep a lookout which they often do from a tree or rock. If they spot a predator, they warn the rest of the troop, who then dive for cover. They are very territorial and will attack and sometimes kill any unknown meerkat that wanders into their territory. They will go to war with neighbouring meerkat tribes, if they are too close to their territory. But they look awfully cute. I seem to remember something about their being related to lemurs.

Sal

Great stuff, thanks Sal. You reminded me of the programme the BBC made, was it called Meerkats United? I'd never seen one before. But once seen, never forgotten. The most unbelievably cute little face, the little snout hiding razor sharp teeth...if you're an animal lover you can't fail to love these creatures. The sentinels of nature...

They made a sequel called 'Meerkats Divided'. They are the most incredibly cute animals aren't they
It's only a matter of time before someone produces a computer game full of thousands of little guerilla meerkats, with cluster bombs and uzis . . .(How can you tell I've been playing Worms with an 8 year old?)

I'm a fan. How could you not be? I didn't mention (because you sort of take it for granted that everyone else is a fan too so would know): They can stand on their hind legs with ease. They teach their young in an almost systematic way by, for example, catching a scorpion and handing it to a youngster to deal with and learn by trial and error. They go into a frenzy of affectionate greeting and grooming when they meet members of their own gang - the whole troop can get involved and it looks a bit like a heaving mass of excited puppies.

Really, there should be an entry about them here at h2g2. Isn't there one? Why did you ask Buff? Are you going to do one? If you're doing an essay for school/college or whatever, consider making it h2g2 entry compatible and taking it over to Peer Review if there isn't one here already.

Sal

Excellent idea. A picture would be nice too. Is that hard Sal?

There isn't a guide entry on them.
I have pictures of them stored at egroups, but if you don't belong to egroups, you can't view them.
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I will check they work after I have posted.

Oh, dear.
Try posting this onto your own page.
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See if you can see them.

I can't get those pictures. Nice of you to try. Still, if Buff or someone does an entry on meerkats and it gets recommended, the editors will strip the pictures out anyway I think and either leave it picless or put in their own. Something to do with copyright and consistency.

The guide does need a meerkat entry though doesn't it? Just about everyone who loves animals loves meerkats and they really are interesting little critters.

Sal

Very worthy of their own entry, yes.
So, is the person who posed the question going to do it?

Try here if you want to see a meercat

http://www.meerkats.net/lester.htm

Those of you who haven't seen the BBC documentaries may still have seen a meerkat in Disney's "The Lion King". When Simba was in exile, he hung around with a meerkat called Timone and a warthog called Pumba.

Good question GB. Where is the absolute ruler of the comfy chair, I wonder.

That's a great site Niz - not just pictures but loads of information. Go and have a look Buff. Probably everything you need to know about meerkats.

I've seen 'Meerkats United' Gnomon. That's how they recruit their fans I think but I haven't seen the Lion King yet.

Sal

*slaps head*
I have bought my son "The Lion King" and "Timon and Pumbaa" videos.
The meerkat and the warthog were so popular in The Lion King, that they got their own show on the Disney Channel, and they have their own videos.
If you have kids, I can highly recommend the T&P videos.
I knew Timon was a meerkat. I did.
*slaps head again*

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For a Timon and Pumbaa links page:
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The name "Meerkat" is used in English to refer to only a single species of mongoose, the Suricate. That's the one in that website. Other species of mongoose are known as mongooses, not meerkats. 'Meerkat' is an Afrikaans word and it is also used to refer to one other species of mongoose, called the Yellow Mongoose in English. Apart from that it refers to a few kinds of ground squirrel. The German word "Meerkatze" refers to small long-tailed monkeys.

And by the way, meerkats (and other mongooses) are most closely related to civets, genets, linsangs, fossas, fanalokas and binturongs. They are a little less closely related to hyenas.

And a heck of a lot cuter.

Hey, come on now, hyenas are cute! If copyright issues didn't prevent me, I'd post a lot of pictures on my page to convince you of that!

But as for meerkats being cute, I won't argue with you.