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 →
Closest Relatives at Moremi Game Reserve
Banded Mongoose
Mungos mungo
Common Dwarf Mongoose
Helogale parvula
Slender Mongoose
Galerella sanguinea
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Lion
Panthera leo
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Painted Hunting Dog
Lycaon pictus
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Slender-tailed Meerkat at Moremi Game Reserve — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ 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 |