Slender-tailed Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyHerpestidae (Mongooses)
- GenusSuricata (Meerkats)
- SpeciesSuricata suricatta (Slender-tailed Meerkat)
The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body length is around 24–35 cm (9.4–13.8 in), and the weight is typically between 0.62 and 0.97 kg (1.4 and 2.1 lb). The coat is light grey to yellowish-brown with alternate, poorly defined light and dark bands on the back. Meerkats have foreclaws adapted for digging and have the ability to thermoregulate to survive in their harsh, dry habitat. Three subspecies are recognised. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Slender-tailed Meerkat sighting in Addo Elephant National Park, based on 79 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Addo Elephant National Park
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Cape Gray Mongoose
Galerella pulverulenta
Marsh Mongoose
Atilax paludinosus
Lion
Panthera leo
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
Brown Hyaena
Hyaena brunnea
African Clawless Otter
Aonyx capensis
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 5 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Slender-tailed Meerkat in Addo Elephant National Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Slender-tailed Meerkat sighting in Addo Elephant National Park, based on 79 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Slender-tailed Meerkat in Addo Elephant National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Slender-tailed Meerkat in Addo Elephant National Park in our monthly data.