About meerkats:   Mongoose family    Meerkats in detail    Social hierarchy

Meerkats are part of a larger family called the mongoose. These catlike mammals are known for their ferocity and courage. Below is a quick introduction to these close relatives of the meerkat.


Indian grey mongoose
Length: 63cm (not including tail)

Herpestes edwardsii

Famous for its ability to kill venomous snakes, particularly cobras, the mongoose provokes the cobra to strike, deftly dodging the poisonous fangs. When the cobra is exhausted, the mongoose crushes its skull in its jaws, eating the head and venom glands.


Meerkats
Length: 35cm

Suricata suricatta

One of the only social mongooses, meerkats live in colonies of up to 40 individuals. They have a sophisticated social system with sentries that alert the group when predators are near with coded barks. More than one researcher has witnessed meerkats in a kind of singing ceremony, rather like yodelling!


Ring tailed mongoose
Length: 38cm

Galidia elegans

Part of the family of mongoose that live only in Madagascar. They have a tail which is striped red and black. Compared with other mongooses, the ring tailed mongoose has shorter fingers, toes, and claws. They eat birds, frogs, and occasionally lemurs!


Dwarf mongoose
Length: 30cm

Helogale parvula

These are the smallest mongooses in Africa. They have a reddish dark coat and a short snout. The dwarf mongoose (like the meerkats), are social and live in groups of up to 15 animals. Dwarf mongoose live in and around termite mounds which are used as dens, lookouts and food sources.




Marsh mongoose
Length: 62cm

Atilax paludinosus

The marsh mongoose is found near fresh water in sub-Saharan Africa. They are excellent swimmers but prefer to keep their heads above water, using their sensitive feet to dig out animals to eat. They have been observed throwing crabs and snails against rocks to break open the shells. If the marsh mongoose is threatened, it shoots a foul smelling liquid from its bottom!