Latin name: Suricata suricatta

All for One! 

• Being a gregarious animal, a clan includes on average a dozen members, but can reach 30 individuals. The sentry is the one tasked with keeping watch on their surroundings while the others are feeding. 

• The meerkat has a strong resistance to the scorpion's venom and to venomous snakes like the cobra. When facing such an attacker, the clan forms a common front to confuse it and attempt to bite its neck. 

• Communication is very important among meerkats. When an individual sees danger, it whistles and barks to sound the alert. The cries are different for land and aerial predators. 

• A group's territory covers about 15 square kilometers and may contain up to five underground tunnels. 

• It is one of the rare species whose habitat is not threatened; some populations are however dealing with tuberculosis. It would seem that individuals have contracted the disease by eating contaminated domestic garbage.