Meerkat

The meerkat is a small, slim animal with a pointy face, bright eyes, and dark patches around its eyes that look a little like sunglasses. It has a thin tail and sharp claws that are perfect for digging. Meerkats live in the dry, sunny lands of southern Africa.

Meerkats live together in big family groups called mobs. Everyone in the mob helps out, and they take turns caring for the little ones. Living in a group keeps every meerkat safer and makes the busy day more fun.

Meerkats dig cool underground homes called burrows. A burrow has many tunnels and lots of little doorways, so a meerkat can pop up into the sunshine or dash back down whenever it likes. The burrow stays cool in the heat and snug at night.

When the mob goes out to look for food, one meerkat stands up tall to keep watch. If it spots danger, it calls out so everyone can hurry to safety. Meerkats mostly eat insects, and they can even munch a scorpion without being hurt by its sting.

Meerkats are busy in the daytime, and they love to warm up in the morning sun before the hunt begins. There are lots of meerkats living in the wild, and they are doing well in their sandy, sunny home.