Classification

• Meerkats are small mammals of the mongoose family. They live in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa, where they like to stand on their hind legs and peer over the landscape. These animals weigh 1 1/2 lb. as adults, with males being slightly larger, and stand 10 to 14 inches in height. These insectivorious mammals are roughly the size of a squirrel. Meerkats live in well-organized groups of up to 30 called mobs.