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Meerkat, South Africa
Little creature, big mouth
What's this meerkat telling us with its gaze? We're not sure, but what we do know is that between themselves, these little mongooses are great communicators. Their squeaks, barks, clicks and chitters may sound chaotic to the human ear, but a mob of meerkats (usually numbering a dozen or so, but sometimes up to 50) is actually a well-oiled social machine. Dominant meerkats, which tend to be female, use specific calls to coordinate group hunts for grubs and other tasty foods. Additional members act as sentinels to warn the mob against approaching predators, making precise sounds that identify the threat as near or far, bird or beast. Much like their fellow feliforms, meerkats may also hiss at meerkats from other mobs and purr in the company of family and friends.
Little creature, big mouth
What's this meerkat telling us with its gaze? We're not sure, but what we do know is that between themselves, these little mongooses are great communicators. Their squeaks, barks, clicks and chitters may sound chaotic to the human ear, but a mob of meerkats (usually numbering a dozen or so, but sometimes up to 50) is actually a well-oiled social machine. Dominant meerkats, which tend to be female, use specific calls to coordinate group hunts for grubs and other tasty foods. Additional members act as sentinels to warn the mob against approaching predators, making precise sounds that identify the threat as near or far, bird or beast. Much like their fellow feliforms, meerkats may also hiss at meerkats from other mobs and purr in the company of family and friends.
Meerkats make a range of sounds to communicate alarm, affection, aggression and more.
© byrdyak / Adobe Stock 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :