About meerkats:   Mongoose family    Meerkats in detail    Social hierarchy

Alpha Male

The dominant male in the group has access to the alpha female. He is not necessarily the biggest male in the gang.





Alpha Female

The dominant female keeps a tight control on the rest of the females. She is the only one that is supposed to mate with the alpha male. If another female breeds with the alpha male, the alpha female may kill her pups.




Beta Male

All other males in the group are called beta males. Once they are three years old, they leave the group to try and find some willing females.





Beta Female

The beta females are driven from the group when the alpha female is ready to mate. They return soon after and act as sentries, and as babysitters for the alpha female’s latest brood.




Pups

Newborn meerkats are pups for 10 months. They live in underground nurseries at birth because they would not survive under the harsh sun. They are completely bald when they are born, and blind for the first few weeks. They first venture above ground when they are two months old.


Babysitter

The babysitter stays with the pups while the rest of the meerkats are foraging for food. Babysitters can be either male or female, although the alpha female never babysits. Babysitters keep the pups safe and teach them skills like digging and hunting.



Sentry

The sentries are often the difference between life and death for the meerkats. They stand on their hind legs and watch for predators; birds of prey, jackals, and snakes while the other meerkats are foraging for food. If a predator is spotted, the sentry emits a specific bark or cry, depending on what kind of predator it is. Sentry duty rotates throughout the colony. Both males and females can be sentries.