What are 3 interesting facts about meerkats?

Meerkat facts that will amaze your kids

• Fact #1 – Meerkats are immune to venom.
• Fact#2 – Meerkats are actually pretty tough if you look like lunch.
• Fact#3 – Meerkats are highly intelligent.
• Fact#4 – Meerkats are omnivores!
• Fact#5 – The desert is dry but meerkats don’t drink water.

Why do meerkats have black ears?

Some wild meerkats have been able to survive with just one functional eye. Meerkats have small, round, dark-coloured ears which are set very low on each side of the head. When digging meerkats will always close their ears to keep out dust and dirt.

How do meerkats protect their eyes?

Dark patches around their eyes cut down on the sun’s glare, and long, horizontal pupils give meerkats a wide range of vision. Meerkats are adapted for digging and have a membrane that can cover the eye to protect it while burrowing. No prey is safe from meerkats!

What are meerkats afraid of?

Meerkats know to keep watch for birds of prey as they — along with snakes — are some of their fiercest predators. In fact, according to National Geographic, young meerkats are so afraid of birds that they’ll even dive for cover if they see an airplane.

Why do meerkats hug?

He said: “Meerkats are highly sociable animals and live in large groups. “They are often seen standing with their arms out holding on to each other. Sometimes they also cuddle up together for warmth on cooler evenings.”

Why do meerkats stand up?

Meerkats will stand on their back legs for a few reasons. Meerkats will use the increased height to survey their surroundings, calling out to other group members if any predators are close by. They also use this position to get extra heat and to defend their territories from other groups of meerkats.

Can meerkats see color?

The meerkat has sharp eyesight with good color vision. It can stare hard into a bright sky and spot an aerial predator. A long, slender body helps it slip quickly down into its burrow when danger threatens.

Why is a meerkat called a meerkat?

The origin of the term “meerkat” comes from Afrikaans via Dutch. “Meerkat” in Dutch means “lake cat”, even though meerkats are not part of the cat family.

Does a meerkat have 2 legs?

Sentry Position Meerkats have four legs and spend most of their time on all four legs, such as a dog would. However, sometimes, it can be two meerkats or more. The meerkat on sentry duty will find a high spot such as a termite mound or even a hill and stands on its hind legs to keep watch over the rest of the gang.

Why do some meerkats have no tail?

The tail tips haven’t been surgically removed. Sometimes a very keen new mother Meerkat will over-groom the kittens, leading to deterioration of the end of their tails.

Why do female meerkats fight?

A new study by the Kalahari Meerkat project of the University of Cambridge shows that female meerkats fight more than their male counterparts for dominance. In most animals, females invest more in raising offspring, with the result that males compete intensely to gain access to fertile females.