Sitting Meerkat
© byrdyak/Adobe Stock
Little critter, big mouth
What's this meerkat telling us with its gaze? We're not sure, but what we do know is that at least amongst themselves, these little mongooses are great communicators. Their squeaks, barks, clicks, and chitters may sound chaotic to the human ear, but a mob of meerkats (usually numbering a dozen or so, but sometimes up to 50) is actually a well-oiled social machine. Dominant meerkats, which tend to be female, use specific calls to coordinate group hunts for grubs and other tasty foods. Additional members act as sentinels to warn the mob against approaching predators, making precise sounds that identify the threat as near or far, bird or beast. Much like their fellow feliforms, meerkats may also hiss at meerkats from other mobs and purr in the company of family and friends.
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