AnimalsDesert
Meerkat Fun facts for kids
Suricata suricatta
The meerkat lives in dry deserts and grasslands of southern Africa and eats insects, scorpions and spiders.
- Where it lives
- in dry deserts and grasslands of southern Africa
- What it eats
- insects, scorpions and spiders
- How big it is
- much smaller than a cat
Fun facts about the meerkat
The ones Sammy likes best. She tells them in the game, too.
Meerkats have dark patches around their eyes that work like built-in sunglasses in the bright desert sun.
Meerkats take turns being the lookout, standing tall on their back legs to watch for danger while the others dig for food.
The lookout has one warning call for danger from the sky and a different one for danger on the ground.
Grown-up meerkats teach their babies how to handle scorpions, starting with ones that can't sting.
In the morning, meerkats stand facing the sun to warm up their thin, furry tummies.
A meerkat family is called a gang, and they all sleep together in a warm, cosy pile underground.
With their long, curved claws, meerkats can dig away as much sand as they weigh in just seconds.
Meerkats chatter softly all the time while they look for food, so everyone knows the whole family is still close.
Riddle
Can a friend guess it?
Read the clues to someone, one at a time, without saying the animal. How many clues do they need? Fewer is better, just like in the game.
I live with a big, noisy family in the dry, sunny lands of southern Africa.
I chatter softly all day while I dig for food, so my family knows I'm close.
The grown-ups in my family teach the babies to handle scorpions, starting with ones that can't sting.
Dark patches around my eyes work like sunglasses in the bright desert sun.
I take turns standing tall on my back legs to watch for danger while the others dig.
Sammy might be thinking of a meerkat.
In Thought Zoo, Sammy picks an animal and you ask her yes-or-no questions to find it. You'll find the meerkat in the Desert adventure.
Play the DesertComing to iPad, iPhone and Android on 12 January 2027
