Marvelous meerkat facts!

These cute critters live in open deserts and savannas, where water is often scarce. When they can find water, they’ll quench their thirst by drinking from rivers or springs. 

Meerkats get most of the water they need from the juicy insects they eat. They use their keen sense of smell to sniff out beetles, caterpillars, spiders and scorpions—yum! 

Meerkats are clever builders. They build a network of underground burrows that provide shelter from the heat, protection from predators, and a safe place to raise their babies. 

Just like us, meerkats take cover when it rains. Once the downpour’s over, they’ll emerge from their dens to munch on insects that are out eating the just-watered plants. 

Baby meerkats—called pups—will drink their mother’s milk when they’re first born and move on to water as they get older. Some adult meerkats hold jobs as babysitters, looking after the pups while others hunt.