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 Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 23 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Slender Mongoose
Galerella sanguinea
Cape Gray Mongoose
Galerella pulverulenta
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Brown Hyaena
Hyaena brunnea
Cape Fox
Vulpes chama
Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
Leopard
Panthera pardus
African Wildcat
Felis lybica
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Northern Small-spotted Genet
Genetta genetta
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
📅 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 Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Slender-tailed Meerkat sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 23 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Slender-tailed Meerkat in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Slender-tailed Meerkat in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.