Suricata suricatta

(Schreber, 1776)

Vernacular names
English : Slender-tailed Meerkat
French : Suricate

Classification
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Herpestidae
Notes : 3 subspecies known.

Identification
Body length of 29 cm, tail length of 24 cm, weight of 960 g. Small ears, pointed nose, long claws. Fur is coarse, coloration is pale grey-beige with faint transversal brown bands. Tail brown with black tip. Black markings around eyes.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the southern half of Africa, from south-west Angola to Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Lives in open semi-arid grasslands, scrublands and semi-deserts.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not listed
Status : This species has a fairly large range and seems to be globally fairly common. In the past, it was killed in an effort to control rabies.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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