{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "meerkat",
  "name": "Meerkat",
  "scientificName": "Suricata suricatta",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The meerkat is a small, highly social mongoose native to the deserts and dry plains of southern Africa, famous for standing upright on its hind legs to watch for danger. Meerkats live in tight-knit groups called mobs, take turns as lookout sentinels, and raise their young cooperatively. They are immune to some scorpion and snake venom and typically live around 10 years.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Carnivora",
    "family": "Herpestidae",
    "genus": "Suricata"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.8,
    "lengthM": 0.35,
    "topSpeedKmh": 32,
    "lifespanYears": 10
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Suricata suricatta"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Insectivore (mostly)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Desert and dry savanna"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "About 10 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "0.6–1 kg (1.3–2.2 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 32 km/h (20 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Deserts and dry savannas of southern Africa, including the Kalahari.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Suricata suricatta.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Suricata%20suricatta&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Suricata suricatta. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Suricata_suricatta/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Meerkat.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerkat"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/meerkat/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/meerkat/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}