SURICATE

Suricate (Suricata suricatta) also called Meerkat, or Slender-tailed Meerkat, also spelled Mierkat (Suricata suricatta), slender-bodied, burrowing carnivore of the civet family (Viverridae). Found in dry regions of southern Africa, the suricate is distinguished from the closely related mongooses in having four (rather than five) toes on each foot. It grows to a head-and-body length of 2535 cm (1014 inches) with a tail 1825 cm long. It has a tapering muzzle and low-set ears. Its long fur is grizzled yellowish brown or pale gray, marked by dark bars across the back. The face is whitish with black ears and eye patches, and the tail is tipped with black. The suricate usually lives in communities, or colonies, and at times can be found in company with the yellow mongoose, or thick-tailed meerkat (Cynictis penicillata). The suricate is omnivorous and active during the day. Its litters consist of two to four young. Easily tamed as a pet, the suricate is sometimes kept as a household rodent killer. The animal's importation into some countries is regulated because of its potential destructiveness to native wildlife.