The meerkat is a small, highly social mammal belonging to the mongoose family, known for its cooperative behavior in the arid regions of southern Africa. Characterized by slender bodies and dark eye patches that reduce sun glare, meerkats primarily inhabit the Kalahari Desert region, including parts of South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. Living in a predator-rich environment, the meerkat’s survival hinges on its complex group dynamics and division of labor.
Names for a Group of Meerkats
A group of meerkats is most commonly referred to as a mob, reflecting the collective action and movement of the animals. Other accepted collective nouns include a gang, a clan, or a colony. While “mob” is frequently used to describe a large group working toward a common goal, “colony” may refer more specifically to a group living together in a single burrow system.
Hierarchy and Specific Roles
The meerkat group, or mob, functions with a distinct social hierarchy that governs its activities and reproduction. At the top of this structure is the dominant breeding pair, consisting of an alpha male and an alpha female, who are typically the only members of the group to reproduce successfully. The dominant female actively suppresses the reproductive attempts of subordinate females, sometimes even killing the litters of others to ensure the survival of her own offspring.
Beneath this pair are the subordinate members, who assume specialized, non-breeding roles essential for the group’s welfare. One of the most recognizable duties is sentry duty, where a meerkat stands on a raised vantage point to scan the horizon for danger, often using its tail for balance. This lookout will use specific alarm calls to communicate the type of threat, such as an aerial or ground predator, to the foraging group.
Non-breeding individuals also take on the responsibility of alloparenting, acting as babysitters to the dominant pair’s pups. These helper meerkats guard the young at the burrow and will even feed them, a behavior known as provisioning. Foraging teams work together to hunt for prey such as insects, spiders, and scorpions, often staying in vocal and visual contact while excavating the desert ground.
Cooperative Survival Tactics
The meerkat mob’s organization provides evolutionary advantages for survival in the harsh desert environment. Group defense is improved by the sentry system, as early warning calls allow the entire mob to retreat quickly into their elaborate, multi-entrance burrow systems. While the sentinel risks its own foraging time, the elevated position offers a strategic survival advantage, as the sentry is often the first to reach safety during an alarm.
A collective defense strategy, known as mobbing, is also employed against direct threats, where the group adopts intimidating postures and vocalizations to deter predators. The sheer size of a mob, which can range from 2 to 50 individuals, is associated with higher rates of growth, survival, and reproductive success for the entire clan.