Steppe animals standing on their hind legs. Curious facts about meerkats
The baybak or steppe marmot belongs to the order of rodents. It is a native inhabitant of the steppes of Europe and Asia. Currently, as a result of the plowing of the steppes, the number of rodents has decreased significantly. He lives in separate areas in Ukraine, in the Middle Volga region, in the southern regions of the Urals, and Kazakhstan. More evenly distributed in the southern regions from the Ural River to the Irtysh.
The rodent is large. Body length is 55-70 cm. Maximum weight reaches 10 kg. The body is thick, the limbs are short, and there are claws on the paws. The head is large in relation to the body. The tail reaches a length of 12-15 cm. The color is yellowish-red. The tips of the guard hairs are dark. Therefore, the impression of blackish ripples on the back is created. The fur on the top of the head is dark in color. The lower part of the muzzle is light red. The eyes are bordered below with dark streaks. The lower part of the body is darker than the upper. The tip of the tail is dark brown. Molting takes place in the summer.
Reproduction and lifespan
The mating season takes place in the spring in March-April. Pregnancy lasts a month. There are from 3 to 6 cubs in a litter. They are born blind and naked. The weight of newborns reaches 40 g. The eyes open 3 weeks after birth. Milk feeding lasts 1.5 months, then the babies switch to plant foods. Young people live with their parents for 2 years, and then begin an independent life. Puberty occurs at the age of 3 years. In the wild, bobak lives 16-17 years.
Behavior and nutrition
Steppe marmots live in burrows in colonies. Burrows are characterized by complex systems of passages and several exits. The nesting chamber is made at a depth of at least 2 meters. Its bottom is covered with dry grass. The total length of the passages can reach several tens of meters. The earth thrown to the surface forms a hill, the height of which reaches 50-100 cm. These animals fall into winter hibernation, which lasts from 6 to 8 months. To do this, by the end of summer the rodent gains more than a kilogram of fat. Dry grass is dragged into the hole, a group of animals from 5 to 25 individuals gathers, all exits are sealed with earth and stones. The temperature in such a nest does not fall below 0 degrees Celsius.
Hibernation begins in September and continues until March. After hibernation, marmots fatten up and dig new holes. They are on the surface from sunrise to sunset. During feeding, one or two animals stand on their hind legs and observe the surroundings. If a predator appears, they immediately rush to the hole and drag their relatives along with them. Rodents move in dashes and can reach speeds of 15 km/h.
The food consists of plants. These are clover, wild oats, wheatgrass and others. The steppe marmot almost never feeds on agricultural crops. Therefore, representatives of this species do not pose any danger to humans. The animal eats up to 1 kg of plant food per day. He almost never drinks water. It is content with the moisture contained in plants. It is also common for bobbacks to eat insects. They enter the stomach along with the grass. These rodents do not make any reserves for the winter.
In pursuit of the fashionable trend of acquiring exotic pets, many people begin to live under the same roof with aggressive and sometimes dangerous animals. But it is possible and safe to surprise those around you with exclusivity; just get to know the African animal called the meerkat. This cute creature can provide a charge of emotion and exoticism at the same time, you just have to get to know him better.
What does a meerkat look like?
Despite the fact that meerkats and mongooses belong to the same mongoose family, their appearance is radically different.
The meerkat is a small animal, it reaches up to 30 centimeters in height and a maximum of one kilogram of weight. The animal itself is quite elegant and slender, but due to the voluminous fur, the impression of a fuller animal is created.
The fur of meerkats is soft to the touch, its color can vary from gray with a reddish tint to milky white. The fur on the belly and muzzle is usually lighter, almost white, while around the eyes and at the tip of the tail and paws it is black.
Small meerkats are very adept at standing on their hind legs, using their tails for balance. The tail of meerkats can reach 20 centimeters in length, it is wider at the base and gradually tapers towards the tip.
How do meerkats live?
These small animals live in large flocks consisting of several dozen individuals. Such tribal clans allow meerkats to unite to jointly search for food, protect themselves from predators, and even raise their young.
The meerkat is an animal that is most active during the day, with the largest part of its activity being burrowing. For this purpose, nature has endowed these animals with paws with long claws: they dig with their front paws, and throw away the earth with their hind paws.
Life in underground passages has left another imprint on the physical characteristics of meerkats - they have the unique ability to close their ears so that earth and dust do not get into them while digging holes.
The relationships between animals within the pack are very close and warm, family-like. The morning ritual of greeting all members of the meerkat family looks amazing: at sunrise, the animals “hello” each other, tenderly hug, and kiss the faces of their fellow tribesmen. They need such a ritual to maintain integrity and cohesion within the pack.
Natural habitat
The natural life of meerkats takes place in desert and flat terrain, which does not have a large number of trees and other large plants. Such natural conditions are most suitable for creating numerous underground passages and tunnels, without which the existence of a flock of meerkats is impossible.
In the wild, these animals are most likely to be found in such geographical locations as:
- Republic of South Africa.
- Namibia.
- Angola.
- Zambia.
- Zimbabwe.
- Madagascar.
Meerkats at the zoo can also feel comfortable. This is possible if special natural conditions are created for them, as close as possible to their natural habitat: flat, desert terrain with soil suitable for digging. In addition, the temperature regime and the amount of open sunny space must be suitable for the animals.
Habits of meerkats
Small representatives of the mongoose family are very smart, non-aggressive animals. They are very active and energetic, because they spend the whole day on the move.
The usual activity of a meerkat consists of tearing holes and tunnels, which can form an entire underground city and cover large areas. At the same time, collapses regularly occur in the tunnels, which the hardworking meerkats immediately clear or tear up a replacement for the collapsed tunnel.
The meerkat is an animal that loves to bask in the sun during moments of rest. In this case, animals can freeze in the most unsuitable position for resting: sitting on their tail and spreading their hind legs wide or bent in half.
Its small size, funny habits, non-aggressive disposition and sharp mind make the meerkat attractive not only as an object of observation in the wild or zoo, but also as a potential pet.
Benefits of an exotic pet
A meerkat at home looks much more advantageous than most other fashionable exotic pets.
This animal is highly trainable - it can respond to its name and recognize the people it lives with. The animal is non-aggressive and does not bite at all, even when frightened: it has rather weak jaws and non-sharp teeth.
In its domestic lifestyle, the meerkat partly resembles a cat: it goes to the toilet in a special tray, loves to bask in the sun, prefers to climb on a sleeping person and from there watch what is happening in the surrounding area.
Feeding meerkats also does not require much hassle. Half of the animal’s diet consists of products available in any store: eggs, chicken breast, vegetables, fruits; and half from specialized food from a pet store.
The meerkat usually lives in its own cage, but under supervision it can travel throughout the living area, which it does with interest and pleasure.
You can also go outside with this animal on a leash, but for this you need to get preventive vaccinations.
Difficulties in content
Having an exotic animal in the home always poses unknown challenges. In the case of keeping a meerkat, the main obstacle to owning this animal may be its love for “marking” territory.
A meerkat is programmed by nature to mark its territory, so the process of training an animal to use a tray may require more patience and effort than the owner planned.
Sometimes a whole year passes before the animal stops marking all household items that it considers its property. Only patience, methodology and understanding can come to the owner’s aid. Aggression and cursing will not achieve results - the meerkat may become more embittered.
There are often situations when it was necessary to install several trays, and seal especially important interior items with tape or oilcloth.
In addition, before getting a meerkat, you need to take care of a good cage for it to live in. If the apartment or house is not sunny enough, then it would be a good idea to install an ultraviolet lamp in the cage so that the animal can bask its fur in the sun's rays, even artificial ones.
Having a pet is always a big responsibility. Choosing an exotic pet is a double responsibility, because you need to take into account all the difficulties that befall the animal during the period of adaptation to new living conditions. Before taking such a step, it is necessary to weigh all the arguments. Only then will contemplating the life of meerkats bring positive emotions, regardless of where you meet these wonderful animals: in nature, a zoo or in your own kitchen.
Ecology
Basics:
Meerkats are very social and charismatic mammals of the family. mongoose, which live in southern Africa. Meerkats rise on their hind legs to watch for danger and have excellent senses of smell, vision and hearing.
Meerkats' diet consists mainly of insects, but they can also eat small reptiles, scorpions, eggs and plants. A good sense of smell and the ability to dig holes helps these animals find prey, even if it is hidden deep underground.
Adult meerkats have to teach the younger generation what to eat. Mothers may bring live lizards, insects or scorpions to their young, and they must learn to kill them.
Groups of 2-3 families of meerkats, which are called colonies, live nearby in burrows. Almost all their free time, members of the colony take care of themselves and play with each other.
Early in the morning they leave their burrows to sunbathe and then go hunting. Each colony has its own territory of approximately 10 square kilometers, where they hunt at different times of the day.
Adults take turns standing guard, looking out for enemies while the others forage for food. "Sentries" climb to the highest point - a mountain or a rock - and monitor the situation. If all is well, the sentry will make a long, continuous sound known as the "sentry song." If it spots an enemy, it emits a whistle or scream, quickly alerting the rest of the colony, and they immediately run to the nearest hole for cover.
Meerkats have adapted well to life in hot, dusty environments. Long horizontal pupils allow meerkats to see well around them, and the dark areas around the eyes reflect bright light, allowing them to see objects at great distances. Meerkats also have a special membrane that protects their eyes when they dig holes.
Meerkats have dark skin and thin fur on their bellies, which helps them control their body temperature. They sunbathe to quickly warm up in the mornings, and in the middle of the day when it's hot, they snuggle up against cooler rocks in the shade to cool off.
Females give birth several times a year; one litter can contain from 2 to 5 cubs. Usually the cubs are born during the rainy season, when there is plenty of food. The cubs are born bald, blind and deaf. They open their eyes only after 2 weeks, and after another week they begin to eat solid food. After about a month, they emerge from the shelter.
The dominant female and male in the colony have the most offspring. Adult meerkats take turns sitting with the babies.
Meerkats reach a length of approximately 30 centimeters, females are slightly larger than males. They weigh on average 1 kilogram. Life expectancy is about 10 years; in zoos they can live up to 13 years.
Habitats:
Meerkats are mainly found in the western part of southern Africa. They live in the open, dry areas of African savannas, covered with short grass and sparse shrubs. They avoid living in deserts, forests and mountains.
Security status: least concern
These mammals are quite widespread in the south of the African continent. They live in several protected areas where they are not in great danger.
Females can breastfeed their young while standing on their hind legs.
Meerkats remember the location of thousands of underground shelters on their territory, so in case of danger they can easily find the nearest one as soon as the sentries notice the approach of the enemy.
Young meerkats are very afraid of birds of prey, so even if they notice a plane, they immediately hide in holes.
A study of wild meerkats in South Africa showed that they are able to isolate and differentiate the voices of different members of their colony.
Meerkats get moisture from roots and fruits.
Adult meerkats can kill and eat venomous snakes and scorpions without harm, as they have developed immunity to the poison.
Sometimes you can see how cats stand on their hind legs, resembling meerkats or toy puppets. What makes normally majestic and independent animals behave in such a way that is unusual for them? Is there a scientific explanation for this? And what do our pets want to achieve by adopting this position? At least six reasons can serve as an explanation.
Repelling for self-defense
One of the reasons for this behavior may be a clash with a predator or another representative of its kind. Feeling threatened, the cat stands on its hind legs to appear taller and larger than its size.
You may also have noticed how cats before a fight walk sideways, arching. This also makes them more intimidating to the enemy. Sometimes it helps to avoid a fight, thanks to intimidation alone.
Participation in games
The reason for standing on its hind legs may also lie in ordinary entertainment.
By moving into this position, the cat can attack you or any objects, doing this in game mode, without showing aggression.
Treat or Treat
Sometimes our cats are like children in monster costumes, going door to door collecting tasty treats. At least that may be the goal. Standing on its hind legs, the cat will demand something tasty from you. At the same time, he looks quite convincing and cute, so it’s difficult to refuse feeding.
Like meerkats
Standing on their hind legs and stretching out, cats look like meerkats. Why do these animals from the mongoose family do this? They look very curious and funny when they look into the distance, stretching their whole body upward. This is how they detect predators in order to warn their relatives about the danger. They also notice prey in the form of snakes and rodents. And yes, first of all, they are driven by curiosity. Perhaps this feeling also guides cats when they, standing on their hind legs, cautiously explore something new.
munchkins
Munchkin cats have very short legs, which makes them so cute and defenseless.
These members of the feline family can often be seen standing on their hind legs. The thing is that their natural stockiness pushes them to this. After all, the center of gravity of these cats is too low.
Injury or congenital abnormalities
For some cats standing on their hind legs, this position is not some kind of quirk or manifestation of some feelings. They are forced to do this by injuries to their front legs or even the absence of them. Such animals simply physically cannot accept the usual position of cats, and are forced to always stand or sit on their hind legs.
It also happens that pets are already born with similar deformities. There are examples when, at the birth of cats, their front legs stopped developing, remaining short. Such animals are forced to jump on their hind legs, like a kangaroo.
We should not forget that cats are completely unpredictable, independent animals. They do exactly what they want at the moment. The same may apply to standing on its hind legs for reasons known only to the pet itself.
Meerkats (Suricata suricata) are close relatives of mongooses. These cute animals live in the Kalahari and Namib deserts, as well as in other regions of South Africa. The body length of the meerkat is 25-35 cm, the tail is 18-25 cm. The head and belly of the animal are very light, and the ears and tip of the tail are black. The remaining parts of the body are gray or reddish in color. Slender thin limbs, an elongated head and dark spots around the eyes give the meerkat a comically touching appearance. His fur is not very thick, but rather long. Because of it, the meerkat seems heavier than it actually is - the weight of this permanently disheveled creature barely reaches 2 kg.
Meerkats live in colonies of no more than 30 individuals. Colonies of meerkats live in deep, branched burrows. Sometimes they dig them on their own, and sometimes they easily occupy the shelter of another animal (for example, a ground squirrel). Having developed communicative instincts, these animals communicate with each other through vocal signals. According to scientists, there are at least 10 combinations in their sound range.
These funny animals have the habit of keeping watch at the entrances to their burrows. No wonder locals call them “sentinels of the desert.” With its front paws folded on its stomach and slightly leaning on its tail, the “duty” meerkat vigilantly looks out for danger. In the event of an emergency, he immediately dives into the hole, notifying his relatives with a sharp whistle. Meerkats have excellent eyesight and sense of smell, they run well, jump and climb trees and rocks.
Today, these touching babies are successfully kept in city apartments and country houses: they are perfectly tamed and can delight the whole family for many years. There are two options for meerkats to stay with us:
1. Aviary keeping, when a special enclosure is built for a pet or a separate area is allocated, where conditions close to natural are created for the pet,
2. The animal lives with a person like a dog or cat, that is, it moves freely throughout the house. It will be nice to know that, like cats, meerkats are litter box trained, so caring for them will be easy and enjoyable.
Meerkats do not show any aggression towards people. Gradually, having won the trust of your pet, you will raise an affectionate furry friend who will amuse you more than once with charming antics and jumps, will be able to take food from your hands, respond to his name, cuddle and accompany his beloved owner everywhere. Meerkats are social animals, so the person they are used to is perceived as part of their pack.
And now a few words about what these amazing furry babies represent.
Meerkat (older name for meerkat) – Suricata suricata
Type chordates
Class mammals
Predatory squad
Viverrid family (Viverridae)
Mongoose subfamily (Herpestinae)
However, one should not confuse the meerkat with the mongoose - this is a different species, different both externally and physiologically. Interspecific hybridization between meerkats and mongooses is impossible.
The meerkat lives in deserts, semi-deserts and dry steppes throughout southern Africa - from Lake Chad to the foothills of the Cape of Good Hope, in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Meerkats are well tamed, and since ancient times, aborigines have often kept them as pets to kill snakes, poisonous insects and rodents. South African people believe that meerkats can protect their homes from werewolves, “moon devils.” For this, as well as for their habit of basking in the sun while standing in a column, which makes their fur literally glow, meerkats are called “solar angels.” Their appearance and habits are truly “angelic”: charming and gentle, funny and good-natured, meerkats will not leave anyone indifferent and can bring a warm smile even to a skeptical cynic, who will not be surprised by anything.
It is noteworthy that complete matriarchy reigns among meerkats! The dominant, leader of the pack will always be the female - the founder of the clan, or the strongest individual who has taken the place of her predecessor who has aged, died or left the clan.
Why is a pack of meerkats called a “clan”? Usually this small community is formed at the moment when a female in estrus forms a pair with a male and their offspring are born. Having matured, not all cubs leave the family - some of them remain. However, some voluntarily leave the family in the hope of founding their own clan, or are expelled from the pack for some “offence.” If a meerkat fails to create its own family, it may die, so the animal will be forced to return to its own pack or join another clan (of course, if it is accepted). The dominant female usually gives birth to cubs, but other members of the clan may also have offspring, but whether the others will accept them is not always certain. An alpha female can easily destroy newborns or get rid of them, driving away the babies as soon as they grow up, but there are rare exceptions.
At the same time, if not the dominant but the subordinate female is pregnant, she may try to attack the cubs of her leader. The most striking thing is that conflicts between females can arise only at the moment of “baby beating.” And no matter how this matter ends, the conflict does not affect further relationships between females and the cohesion of the pack. A mother who has made an attempt on the life of her children can nurture both her own and other people’s children in a few days (after she herself has been delivered from her pregnancy). And the “everyone’s mother” (the leader) fearlessly trusts her offspring to the one whose own children she just killed. Today, meerkats are the only animals in which such a paradoxical relationship has been discovered.
Observing the life of a clan of meerkats is an incredibly exciting experience. There are many films and TV series that tell about the life of a small furry family. They are very popular and are constantly broadcast on the channels Discovery, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, “Zoo”, etc. If these delightful animals touch your heart, if you wish, you can buy a DVD in a store or order it online with any of these films.
The morning of meerkats begins with a general “formation” (just like in the army!), when the animals come out of their holes and first gather together, standing on their hind legs, to greet the rising Sun. Then they exchange touching caresses - sniffing each other, caressing, funny somersaults and wrestling, licking each other's fur. After this, the family (with the exception of the young animals, which are not yet strong enough, do not leave the hole and feed on their mother’s milk) begins a meal, or, if there is no prey nearby, goes to their hunting “grounds”. After eating, the animals can stand in a column for long hours or lie freely in the sand, sunbathing. There is always a sentry near the hole, who climbs some hill, choosing the highest point for his “post”, and watches the horizon. If the watchman notices a predator, he calls the entire flock with a loud, sharp cry so that the clan has time to hide in a hole and wait out the impending danger.
Recent research by scientists has shown that meerkats have a system of vocal signals and gestures similar to our speech. For example, several alarm signals that differ in sound timbre: they say which predator is approaching and from where (snake, large animal or bird), whether it is far away or has gotten very close, etc.
The system of “pedagogy” of meerkats is also interesting. As soon as the cubs become more or less independent and need not only milk, but also other food, the “nannies” (they can be both females and males) take them on their first hunt. The youngest are given prey that has already been killed, the older cubs are given caught but still alive so that they can play with their prey and try to catch it, and teenagers are taught to hunt on their own.
Just like their relative, the mongoose Rikki-Tiki-Tavi described by Kipling, meerkats are able to deal with a poisonous snake, while deftly avoiding its bite. But in most cases, instead of a dangerous battle, they prefer methodical excavations in search of scorpions, small lizards, giant centipedes and other living creatures - everything that can be caught is eaten. Meerkats love to feast on eggs and chicks, and also eat tender parts of plants and their bulbs. The diet of meerkats includes everything that cannot fight back, run away or fly away from them. This type of feeding is inherent in many animals, but almost all of them prefer to get food alone - such food is easy to get, but it requires quite a lot of it, and it is simply impossible to “divide” tiny prey among several members of the pack. But meerkats also stand out among other omnivorous predators: they live and hunt as a whole family, combing every meter of land in their possessions. At the same time, one or two meerkats also stand guard while the rest of the family members get food for themselves without fear of enemies, which allows them to search for prey much more efficiently.
When the time comes to build another dwelling or restore an abandoned one, meerkats dig the ground with the whole clan, because a convenient entrance to a shelter (or several entrances) is, first of all, an opportunity to quickly hide from the enemy. During such “construction”, meerkats dig the ground so zealously that earth or sand flies from under their paws in a continuous stream, like on a conveyor belt. If animals choose rocky areas to live in, where it is impossible to dig a hole, then they find a cave or cleft in the stones and settle down in it. Most likely, it is in this nomadic way of life that lies the key to such strong family ties among meerkats within the same clan.
