The meerkat or suricate (Suricata suricatta) is a small carnivoran belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It is the only member of the genus Suricata.[3] Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert
Namib Desert in Namibia
Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats, but some super-families have 50 or more members. In captivity, meerkats have an average life span of 12–14 years, and about half this in the wild.

Contents

1 Etymology 2 Taxonomy 3 Description 4 Diet and foraging behaviour 5 Predators 6 Reproduction 7 Behavior

7.1 Vocalization

8 Domestication 9 Popular culture 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links

Etymology[edit] "Meerkat" is a loanword from Afrikaans
Afrikaans (pronounced [ˈmɪərkat]).[4] The name has a Dutch origin, but by misidentification. In Dutch, meerkat means the guenon, a monkey of the Cercopithecus genus.[5] The word meerkat is Dutch for "lake cat", but although the suricata is a feliform, it is not of the cat family;[6] the word possibly started as a Dutch adaptation of a derivative of Sanskrit
Sanskrit markaṭa मर्कट = "ape",[7] perhaps in Africa via an Indian sailor on board a Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company ship.[8] In early literature, suricates were referred as mierkat. In colloquial Afrikaans, mier means termite, and kat means mongoose. It has been speculated that the name comes from their frequent association with termite mounds or the termites they eat.[9] Taxonomy[edit] Three subspecies are currently recognized:[3]

Southern African meerkat (Suricata suricatta suricatta), native to southern Namibia
Namibia and Botswana, and South Africa. Angolan meerkat (Suricata suricatta iona), native to southwestern Angola. Desert meerkat (Suricata suricatta majoriae), native to the Namib desert and central and northwestern Namibia.

Description[edit]

Skull and dentition, as illustrated in Gervais' Histoire naturelle des mammifères

Skeleton at the Osteology Museum of Oklahoma

The meerkat is a small diurnal herpestid (mongoose)[10] weighing on average about 0.5 to 2.5 kilograms (1.1 to 5.5 lb).[11][12] Its long slender body and limbs give it a body length of 35 to 50 centimetres (14 to 20 in) and an added tail length of around 25 centimetres (9.8 in).[13] The meerkat uses its tail to balance when standing upright, as well as for signaling.[14] Its face tapers, coming to a point at the nose, which is brown. The eyes always have black patches around them, and they have small black crescent-shaped ears.[15] Like cats, meerkats have binocular vision, their eyes being on the front of their faces.[16]

Closeup of forefeet at the Knie's Kinderzoo, Rapperswil, Switzerland

At the end of each of a meerkat's "fingers" is a claw used for digging burrows and digging for prey.[13] Claws are also used with muscular hindlegs to help climb trees. Meerkats have four toes on each foot and long slender limbs. The coat is usually peppered gray, tan, or brown with silver.[15] They have short parallel stripes across their backs, extending from the base of the tail to the shoulders.[14] The patterns of stripes are unique to each meerkat. The underside of the meerkat has no markings, but the belly has a patch which is only sparsely covered with hair and shows the black skin underneath. The meerkat uses this area to absorb heat while standing on its rear legs, usually early in the morning after cold desert nights.[17] Diet and foraging behaviour[edit]

Meerkat
Meerkat killing an elephant shrew, as illustrated in Brehm's Life of Animals

Meerkat
Meerkat digging for insects

Meerkat
Meerkat eating a frog

Meerkats are primarily insectivores, but also eat other animals (lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, eggs, small mammals, millipedes, centipedes and, more rarely, small birds), plants and fungi (the desert truffle Kalaharituber
Kalaharituber pfeilii[18]). Meerkats are immune to certain types of venom, including the very strong venom of the scorpions of the Kalahari Desert.[19] Baby meerkats do not start foraging for food until they are about 1 month old, and do so by following an older member of the group who acts as the pup's tutor.[20] Meerkats forage in a group with one "sentry" on guard watching for predators while the others search for food. Sentry duty is usually approximately an hour long. The meerkat standing guard makes peeping sounds when all is well.[21] A meerkat has the ability to dig through a quantity of sand equal to its own weight in just seconds.[22] Digging is done to create burrows, to get food and also to create dust clouds to distract predators.[23] Predators[edit] Martial eagles, tawny eagles and jackals are the main predators of meerkats.[24] Meerkats sometimes die of snakebite in confrontations with snakes (puff adders and Cape cobras).[25] Reproduction[edit] Meerkats become sexually mature at about two years of age and can have one to four pups in a litter, with three pups being the most common litter size. Meerkats are iteroparous and can reproduce any time of the year.[15] The pups are allowed to leave the burrow at two to three weeks old.[26] There is no precopulatory display; the male may fight with the female until she submits to him and copulation begins. Gestation lasts approximately 11 weeks and the young are born within the underground burrow and are altricial (undeveloped). The young's ears open at about 10 days of age, and their eyes at 10–14 days. They are weaned around 49 to 63 days.[15] Usually, the alpha pair reserves the right to mate and normally kills any young not its own, to ensure that its offspring have the best chance of survival. The dominant couple may also evict, or kick out the mothers of the offending offspring.[27] New meerkat groups are often formed by evicted females joining a group of males.[28] Females appear to be able to discriminate the odour of their kin from the odour of their non-kin.[29] Kin recognition is a useful ability that facilitates cooperation among relatives and the avoidance of inbreeding. When mating does occur between meerkat relatives, it often results in negative fitness consequences or inbreeding depression. Inbreeding depression
Inbreeding depression was evident for a variety of traits: pup mass at emergence from the natal burrow, hind-foot length, growth until independence and juvenile survival.[30] These negative effects are likely due to the increased homozygosity that arises from inbreeding and the consequent expression of deleterious recessive mutations. The avoidance of inbreeding and the promotion of outcrossing allow the masking of deleterious recessive mutations.[31] (Also see Complementation (genetics).) Behavior[edit] Meerkats are small burrowing animals, living in large underground networks with multiple entrances which they leave only during the day, except to avoid the heat of the afternoon.[32] They are very social creatures and they live in colonies together.[15] Animals in the same group groom each other regularly.[21] The alpha pair often scent-mark subordinates of the group to express their authority.[33] There may be up to 30 meerkats in a group.[15] To look out for predators, one or more meerkats stand sentry, to warn others of approaching dangers.[34] When a predator is spotted, the meerkat performing as sentry gives a warning bark or whistle, and other members of the group will run and hide in one of the many holes they have spread across their territory.[35] Meerkats also babysit the young in the group. Females that have never produced offspring of their own often lactate to feed the alpha pair's young.[15] They also protect the young from threats, often endangering their own lives. On warning of danger, the babysitter takes the young underground to safety and is prepared to defend them if the danger follows.[36] Meerkats are also known to share their burrow with the yellow mongoose and ground squirrel.[36] Like many species, meerkat young learn by observing and mimicking adult behaviour, though adults also engage in active instruction. For example, meerkat adults teach their pups how to eat a venomous scorpion: they will remove the stinger and help the pup learn how to handle the creature.[37] Despite this altruistic behaviour, meerkats sometimes kill young members of their group. Subordinate meerkats have been seen killing the offspring of more senior members in order to improve their own offspring's position.[38] When colonies are exposed to human presence for a long time, they will become habituated, which allows for documentation of their natural behavior. It is not unsual for camera crews, who must largely stay still for long periods while filming, to be utilized as convenient sentry posts.[39] Vocalization[edit] Meerkat
Meerkat calls may carry specific meanings, with particular calls indicating the type of predator and the urgency of the situation. In addition to alarm calls, meerkats also make panic calls, recruitment calls, and moving calls. They chirrup, trill, growl, or bark, depending on the circumstances.[40] Meerkats make different alarm calls depending upon whether they see an aerial or a terrestrial predator. Moreover, acoustic characteristics of the call will change with the urgency of the potential predatory episode. Therefore, six different predatory alarm calls with six different meanings have been identified: aerial predator with low, medium, and high urgency; and terrestrial predator with low, medium, and high urgency. Meerkats respond differently after hearing a terrestrial predator alarm call than after hearing an aerial predator alarm call. For example, upon hearing a high-urgency terrestrial predator alarm call, meerkats are most likely to seek shelter and scan the area. On the other hand, upon hearing a high-urgency aerial predator alarm call, meerkats are most likely to crouch down. On many occasions under these circumstances, they also look towards the sky.[41] Domestication[edit] Meerkats, as they are wild animals, make poor pets. They can be aggressive, especially toward guests and they may also bite. They will scent-mark their owner and the house (their "territory").[42][43] Popular culture[edit]

Meerkat
Meerkat Manor, a British television program. The advertising campaign, Compare the Meerkat, is popular in the UK and Australia. Timon from The Lion
Lion King franchise is a meerkat. In the book Life of Pi
Life of Pi and its film adaptation, the floating island is inhabited by tens of thousands of meerkats, in an environment and grouping unlike real meerkats. Billy from the film Animals United
Animals United is a meerkat. A rolling version of the popular GNU/ Linux
Linux distribution Ubuntu was called "Maverick Meerkat". It was distributed in October 2010, and it was the last version featuring GNOME 2 as main desktop environment. The Pokémon
Pokémon species Patrat and Watchog, first introduced in Pokémon Black and White, appear to be somewhat based on meerkats. A meerkat briefly appears in the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, although it is incorrectly referred to as a honey badger by Alvin.

See also[edit]

Kalahari Meerkat
Meerkat Project, a long-term research project The Meerkats, a 2008 documentary feature film

References[edit]

^ http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=232149.  Missing or empty title= (help) ^ Jordan, N. R.; Do Linh San, E. (2015). "Suricata suricatta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2015: e.T41624A45209377. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41624A45209377.en. Retrieved 28 March 2017.  ^ a b Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Genus Suricata". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal
Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 571. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.  ^ Durkin, Philip (2014). Borrowed Words: A History of Loanwords in English. OUP Oxford. p. 359. ISBN 978-0-19-166707-7.  ^ Aertsen, Henk; Jeffers, Robert J. (1993). Historical Linguistics 1989: Papers from the 9th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, New Brunswick, 14–18 August 1989. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 315. ISBN 978-90-272-7705-3.  ^ New International Encyclopedia. Dodd, Mead. 1916. p. 348.  ^ Harper, Douglas. "meerkat". Online Etymology Dictionary.  ^ Mitrani, Judith L. (2014). Psychoanalytic Technique and Theory: Taking the Transference. Karnac Books. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-78220-162-5.  ^ (van Staaden 1994) ^ Feldhamer, George A.; Drickamer, Lee C.; Vessey, Stephen H.; Merritt, Joseph F.; Krajewski, Carey (2007). Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, Ecology. JHU Press. p. 321. ISBN 978-0-8018-8695-9.  ^ Unwin, Mike (2011). Southern African Wildlife. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-84162-347-4.  ^ Karlin, Adam (2010). Botswana
Botswana & Namibia. Lonely Planet. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-74104-922-0.  ^ a b Animals: A Visual Encyclopedia (Second Edition): A Visual Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. 2012. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-7566-9896-6.  ^ a b Marshall Cavendish Reference (2010). Mammals of the Southern Hemisphere. Marshall Cavendish. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-7614-7937-6.  ^ a b c d e f g "Suricata suricatta". animaldiversity.org.  ^ Miller, Sara Swan (2007). All Kinds of Eyes. Marshall Cavendish. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-7614-2519-9.  ^ "Meerkat". theanimalfiles.com. Retrieved 5 January 2015.  ^ Trappe, James M.; Claridge, Andrew W.; Arora, David; Smit, W. Adriaan (2008). "Desert truffles of the Kalahari: ecology, ethnomycology and taxonomy". Economic Botany. 62 (3): 521–529. doi:10.1007/s12231-008-9027-6.  ^ David Attenborough's World Of Wildlife 9 – Meerkats United (1999). Video ^ "Mighty Masked Meerkat
Meerkat Mobs". Lifeinthefastlane.ca. 7 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 February 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2013.  ^ a b Ciovacco, Justine (2008). Meerkats. Gareth Stevens Pub. pp. 28, 37 ff. ISBN 978-0-8368-9098-3.  ^ "LadyWildLife". LadyWildLife. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2014.  ^ "LadyWildLife". LadyWildLife. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2014.  ^ Kingdon, Jonathan; Happold, David; Butynski, Thomas; Hoffmann, Michael; Happold, Meredith; Kalina, Jan (2013). Mammals of Africa. A&C Black. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-4081-8996-2.  ^ Skyrms, Brian (2010). Signals: Evolution, Learning, and Information. Oxford University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-19-161490-3.  ^ "Meerkat". zooatlanta.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.  ^ Allman, Toney (2009). Animal
Animal Life in Groups. Infobase Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-4381-2606-7.  ^ Armitage, Kenneth B. (2014). Marmot Biology: Sociality, Individual Fitness, and Population Dynamics. Cambridge University Press. p. 351. ISBN 978-1-139-99300-5.  ^ Leclaire S, Nielsen JF, Thavarajah NK, Manser M, Clutton-Brock TH (2013). "Odour-based kin discrimination in the cooperatively breeding meerkat". Biol. Lett. 9 (1): 20121054. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2012.1054. PMC 3565530 . PMID 23234867.  ^ Nielsen JF, English S, Goodall-Copestake WP, Wang J, Walling CA, Bateman AW, Flower TP, Sutcliffe RL, Samson J, Thavarajah NK, Kruuk LE, Clutton-Brock TH, Pemberton JM (2012). "Inbreeding and inbreeding depression of early life traits in a cooperative mammal". Mol. Ecol. 21 (11): 2788–804. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05565.x. PMID 22497583.  ^ Bernstein H, Byerly HC, Hopf FA, Michod RE (1985). "Genetic damage, mutation, and the evolution of sex". Science. 229 (4719): 1277–81. doi:10.1126/science.3898363. PMID 3898363.  ^ Carnivores. Britannica Educational Publishing. 2010. p. 171. ISBN 978-1-61530-385-4.  ^ Martin, Vonne (2013). Southern Africa Safari. Author House. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-4817-1258-3.  ^ Kalat, James (2015). Biological Psychology. Cengage Learning. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-305-46529-9.  ^ Ganeri, Anita (2011). Meerkat. Heinemann Library. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-4329-4773-6.  ^ a b Moore, Heidi (2004). A Mob of Meerkats. Heinemann Library. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-4034-4694-7.  ^ Thornton, Alex; McAuliffe, Katherine (2006). "Teaching in wild meerkats". Science. 313 (5784): 227–229. doi:10.1126/science.1128727. PMID 16840701.  ^ Norris, Scott (15 March 2006). "Murderous meerkat moms contradict caring image, study finds". National Geographic News. Retrieved 25 May 2012.  ^ "Planet Earth Live - BBC One". http://www.bbc.co.uk/planetearthlive. www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2018.  External link in website= (help) ^ Manser, Marta; Fletcher, Lindsay (2004). "Vocalize to localize: A test on functionally referential alarm calls". Interaction Studies. 5 (3): 327–344. doi:10.1075/is.5.3.02man.  ^ Manser, Marta B.; Bell, Matthew B.; Fletcher, Lindsay B. (7 December 2001). "The information that receivers extract from alarm calls in suricates". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 268 (1484). doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1772.  ^ " Meerkat
Meerkat adverts lead to surge in unwanted pets". BBC. 2 June 2010.  ^ " Meerkat
Meerkat info". meerkats.net. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 

Further reading[edit]

David Macdonald (Photography by Nigel Dennis): Meerkats. London: New Holland Publishers, 1999. " Meerkat
Meerkat pups go to eating school". BBC News. 13 July 2006.  van Staaden, Moira J. (1994). "Suricata suricatta" (PDF). Mammalian Species. American Society of Mammalogists (483): 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2016. 

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Suricata suricatta.

Wikispecies
Wikispecies has information related to Suricata suricatta

Animal
Animal Diversity – Meerkat, University of Michigan Meerkat
Meerkat enquiries on the increase – BBC Nottingham

v t e

Extant Carnivora
Carnivora species

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Laurasiatheria

Suborder Feliformia

Nandiniidae

Nandinia

African palm civet
African palm civet (N. binotata)

Herpestidae (Mongooses)

Atilax

Marsh mongoose
Marsh mongoose (A. paludinosus)

Bdeogale

Bushy-tailed mongoose
Bushy-tailed mongoose (B. crassicauda) Jackson's mongoose
Jackson's mongoose (B. jacksoni) Black-footed mongoose
Black-footed mongoose (B. nigripes)

Crossarchus

Alexander's kusimanse
Alexander's kusimanse (C. alexandri) Angolan kusimanse
Angolan kusimanse (C. ansorgei) Common kusimanse
Common kusimanse (C. obscurus) Flat-headed kusimanse
Flat-headed kusimanse (C. platycephalus)

Cynictis

Yellow mongoose
Yellow mongoose (C. penicillata)

Dologale

Pousargues's mongoose
Pousargues's mongoose (D. dybowskii)

Galerella

Angolan slender mongoose
Angolan slender mongoose (G. flavescens) Black mongoose
Black mongoose (G. nigrata) Somalian slender mongoose
Somalian slender mongoose (G. ochracea) Cape gray mongoose
Cape gray mongoose (G. pulverulenta) Slender mongoose
Slender mongoose (G. sanguinea)

Helogale

Ethiopian dwarf mongoose
Ethiopian dwarf mongoose (H. hirtula) Common dwarf mongoose
Common dwarf mongoose (H. parvula)

Herpestes

Short-tailed mongoose
Short-tailed mongoose (H. brachyurus) Indian gray mongoose
Indian gray mongoose (H. edwardsii) Indian brown mongoose
Indian brown mongoose (H. fuscus) Egyptian mongoose
Egyptian mongoose (H. ichneumon) Small Asian mongoose
Small Asian mongoose (H. javanicus) Long-nosed mongoose
Long-nosed mongoose (H. naso) Collared mongoose
Collared mongoose (H. semitorquatus) Ruddy mongoose
Ruddy mongoose (H. smithii) Crab-eating mongoose
Crab-eating mongoose (H. urva) Stripe-necked mongoose
Stripe-necked mongoose (H. vitticollis)

Ichneumia

White-tailed mongoose
White-tailed mongoose (I. albicauda)

Liberiictus

Liberian mongoose
Liberian mongoose (L. kuhni)

Mungos

Gambian mongoose
Gambian mongoose (M. gambianus) Banded mongoose
Banded mongoose (M. mungo)

Paracynictis

Selous' mongoose
Selous' mongoose (P. selousi)

Rhynchogale

Meller's mongoose
Meller's mongoose (R. melleri)

Suricata

Meerkat
Meerkat (S. suricatta)

Hyaenidae (Hyenas)

Crocuta

Spotted hyena
Spotted hyena (C. crocuta)

Hyaena

Brown hyena
Brown hyena (H. brunnea) Striped hyena
Striped hyena (H. hyaena)

Proteles

Aardwolf
Aardwolf (P. cristatus)

Felidae

Large family listed below

Viverridae

Large family listed below

Eupleridae

Small family listed below

Family Felidae

Felinae

Acinonyx

Cheetah
Cheetah (A. jubatus)

Caracal

Caracal
Caracal (C. caracal) African golden cat
African golden cat (C. aurata)

Catopuma

Bay cat
Bay cat (C. badia) Asian golden cat
Asian golden cat (C. temminckii)

Felis

European wildcat
European wildcat (F. silvestris) African wildcat
African wildcat (F. lybica) Jungle cat
Jungle cat (F. chaus) Black-footed cat
Black-footed cat (F. nigripes) Sand cat
Sand cat (F. margarita) Chinese mountain cat
Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti) Domestic cat (F. catus)

Leopardus

Ocelot
Ocelot (L. pardalis) Margay
Margay (L. wiedii) Pampas cat
Pampas cat (L. colocola) Geoffroy's cat
Geoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi) Kodkod
Kodkod (L. guigna) Andean mountain cat
Andean mountain cat (L. jacobita) Oncilla
Oncilla (L. tigrinus) Southern tigrina
Southern tigrina (L. guttulus)

Leptailurus

Serval
Serval (L. serval)

Lynx

Canadian lynx (L. canadensis) Eurasian lynx
Eurasian lynx (L. lynx) Iberian lynx
Iberian lynx (L. pardinus) Bobcat
Bobcat (L. rufus)

Otocolobus

Pallas's cat
Pallas's cat (O. manul)

Pardofelis

Marbled cat
Marbled cat (P. marmorata)

Prionailurus

Fishing cat
Fishing cat (P. viverrinus) Leopard cat
Leopard cat (P. bengalensis) Sundaland leopard cat (P. javanensis) Flat-headed cat
Flat-headed cat (P. planiceps) Rusty-spotted cat
Rusty-spotted cat (P. rubiginosus)

Puma

Cougar
Cougar (P. concolor)

Herpailurus

Jaguarundi
Jaguarundi (H. yagouaroundi)

Pantherinae

Panthera

Lion
Lion (P. leo) Jaguar
Jaguar (P. onca) Leopard
Leopard (P. pardus) Tiger
Tiger (P. tigris) Snow leopard
Snow leopard (P. uncia)

Neofelis

Clouded leopard
Clouded leopard (N. nebulosa) Sunda clouded leopard
Sunda clouded leopard (N. diardi)

Family Viverridae
Viverridae (includes Civets)

Paradoxurinae

Arctictis

Binturong
Binturong (A. binturong)

Arctogalidia

Small-toothed palm civet
Small-toothed palm civet (A. trivirgata)

Macrogalidia

Sulawesi palm civet
Sulawesi palm civet (M. musschenbroekii)

Paguma

Masked palm civet
Masked palm civet (P. larvata)

Paradoxurus

Golden wet-zone palm civet (P. aureus) Asian palm civet
Asian palm civet (P. hermaphroditus) Jerdon's palm civet (P. jerdoni) Golden palm civet
Golden palm civet (P. zeylonensis)

Hemigalinae

Chrotogale

Owston's palm civet
Owston's palm civet (C. owstoni)

Cynogale

Otter civet
Otter civet (C. bennettii)

Diplogale

Hose's palm civet
Hose's palm civet (D. hosei)

Hemigalus

Banded palm civet
Banded palm civet (H. derbyanus)

Prionodontinae (Asiatic linsangs)

Prionodon

Banded linsang
Banded linsang (P. linsang) Spotted linsang
Spotted linsang (P. pardicolor)

Viverrinae

Civettictis

African civet
African civet (C. civetta)

Genetta (Genets)

Abyssinian genet
Abyssinian genet (G. abyssinica) Angolan genet
Angolan genet (G. angolensis) Bourlon's genet
Bourlon's genet (G. bourloni) Crested servaline genet
Crested servaline genet (G. cristata) Common genet
Common genet (G. genetta) Johnston's genet
Johnston's genet (G. johnstoni) Rusty-spotted genet
Rusty-spotted genet (G. maculata) Pardine genet
Pardine genet (G. pardina) Aquatic genet
Aquatic genet (G. piscivora) King genet
King genet (G. poensis) Servaline genet
Servaline genet (G. servalina) Haussa genet
Haussa genet (G. thierryi) Cape genet
Cape genet (G. tigrina) Giant forest genet
Giant forest genet (G. victoriae)

Poiana

African linsang
African linsang (P. richardsonii) Leighton's linsang
Leighton's linsang (P. leightoni)

Viverra

Malabar large-spotted civet
Malabar large-spotted civet (V. civettina) Large-spotted civet
Large-spotted civet (V. megaspila) Malayan civet
Malayan civet (V. tangalunga) Large Indian civet
Large Indian civet (V. zibetha)

Viverricula

Small Indian civet
Small Indian civet (V. indica)

Family Eupleridae

Euplerinae

Cryptoprocta

Fossa (C. ferox)

Eupleres

Eastern falanouc
Eastern falanouc (E. goudotii) Western falanouc (E. major)

Fossa

Malagasy civet
Malagasy civet (F. fossana)

Galidiinae

Galidia

Ring-tailed mongoose
Ring-tailed mongoose (G. elegans)

Galidictis

Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose
Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose (G. fasciata) Grandidier's mongoose
Grandidier's mongoose (G. grandidieri)

Mungotictis

Narrow-striped mongoose
Narrow-striped mongoose (M. decemlineata)

Salanoia

Brown-tailed mongoose
Brown-tailed mongoose (S. concolor) Durrell's vontsira (S. durrelli)

Suborder Caniformia
Caniformia (cont. below)

Ursidae (Bears)

Ailuropoda

Giant panda
Giant panda (A. melanoleuca)

Helarctos

Sun bear
Sun bear (H. malayanus)

Melursus

Sloth bear
Sloth bear (M. ursinus)

Tremarctos

Spectacled bear
Spectacled bear (T. ornatus)

Ursus

American black bear
American black bear (U. americanus) Brown bear
Brown bear (U. arctos) Polar bear
Polar bear (U. maritimus) Asian black bear
Asian black bear (U. thibetanus)

Mephitidae

Conepatus (Hog-nosed skunks)

Molina's hog-nosed skunk
Molina's hog-nosed skunk (C. chinga) Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (C. humboldtii) American hog-nosed skunk
American hog-nosed skunk (C. leuconotus) Striped hog-nosed skunk
Striped hog-nosed skunk (C. semistriatus)

Mephitis

Hooded skunk
Hooded skunk (M. macroura) Striped skunk
Striped skunk (M. mephitis)

Mydaus

Sunda stink badger
Sunda stink badger (M. javanensis) Palawan stink badger
Palawan stink badger (M. marchei)

Spilogale (Spotted skunks)

Southern spotted skunk
Southern spotted skunk (S. angustifrons) Western spotted skunk
Western spotted skunk (S. gracilis) Eastern spotted skunk
Eastern spotted skunk (S. putorius) Pygmy spotted skunk
Pygmy spotted skunk (S. pygmaea)

Procyonidae

Bassaricyon (Olingos)

Eastern lowland olingo
Eastern lowland olingo (B. alleni) Northern olingo
Northern olingo (B. gabbii) Western lowland olingo
Western lowland olingo (B. medius) Olinguito
Olinguito (B. neblina)

Bassariscus

Ring-tailed cat
Ring-tailed cat (B. astutus) Cacomistle
Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti)

Nasua (Coatis inclusive)

White-nosed coati
White-nosed coati (N. narica) South American coati
South American coati (N. nasua)

Nasuella (Coatis inclusive)

Western mountain coati (N. olivacea) Eastern mountain coati (N. meridensis)

Potos

Kinkajou
Kinkajou (P. flavus)

Procyon

Crab-eating raccoon
Crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus) Raccoon
Raccoon (P. lotor) Cozumel raccoon
Cozumel raccoon (P. pygmaeus)

Ailuridae

Ailurus

Red panda
Red panda (A. fulgens)

Suborder Caniformia
Caniformia (cont. above)

Otariidae (Eared seals) (includes fur seals and sea lions) ( Pinniped
Pinniped inclusive)

Arctocephalus

South American fur seal
South American fur seal (A. australis) Australasian fur seal (A. forsteri) Galápagos fur seal
Galápagos fur seal (A. galapagoensis) Antarctic fur seal
Antarctic fur seal (A. gazella) Juan Fernández fur seal
Juan Fernández fur seal (A. philippii) Brown fur seal
Brown fur seal (A. pusillus) Guadalupe fur seal
Guadalupe fur seal (A. townsendi) Subantarctic fur seal
Subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis)

Callorhinus

Northern fur seal
Northern fur seal (C. ursinus)

Eumetopias

Steller sea lion
Steller sea lion (E. jubatus)

Neophoca

Australian sea lion
Australian sea lion (N. cinerea)

Otaria

South American sea lion
South American sea lion (O. flavescens)

Phocarctos

New Zealand sea lion
New Zealand sea lion (P. hookeri)

Zalophus

California sea lion
California sea lion (Z. californianus) Galápagos sea lion
Galápagos sea lion (Z. wollebaeki)

Odobenidae ( Pinniped
Pinniped inclusive)

Odobenus

Walrus
Walrus (O. rosmarus)

Phocidae (Earless seals) ( Pinniped
Pinniped inclusive)

Cystophora

Hooded seal
Hooded seal (C. cristata)

Erignathus

Bearded seal
Bearded seal (E. barbatus)

Halichoerus

Gray seal (H. grypus)

Histriophoca

Ribbon seal
Ribbon seal (H. fasciata)

Hydrurga

Leopard
Leopard seal (H. leptonyx)

Leptonychotes

Weddell seal
Weddell seal (L. weddellii)

Lobodon

Crabeater seal
Crabeater seal (L. carcinophagus)

Mirounga (Elephant seals)

Northern elephant seal
Northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris) Southern elephant seal
Southern elephant seal (M. leonina)

Monachus

Mediterranean monk seal
Mediterranean monk seal (M. monachus) Hawaiian monk seal
Hawaiian monk seal (M. schauinslandi)

Ommatophoca

Ross seal
Ross seal (O. rossi)

Pagophilus

Harp seal
Harp seal (P. groenlandicus)

Phoca

Spotted seal
Spotted seal (P. largha) Harbor seal
Harbor seal (P. vitulina)

Pusa

Caspian seal
Caspian seal (P. caspica) Ringed seal
Ringed seal (P. hispida) Baikal seal
Baikal seal (P. sibirica)

Canidae

Large family listed below

Mustelidae

Large family listed below

Family Canidae
Canidae (includes dogs)

Atelocynus

Short-eared dog
Short-eared dog (A. microtis)

Canis

Side-striped jackal
Side-striped jackal (C. adustus) African golden wolf
African golden wolf (C. anthus) Golden jackal
Golden jackal (C. aureus) Coyote
Coyote (C. latrans) Gray wolf
Gray wolf (C. lupus) Black-backed jackal
Black-backed jackal (C. mesomelas) Red wolf
Red wolf (C. rufus) Ethiopian wolf
Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis)

Cerdocyon

Crab-eating fox
Crab-eating fox (C. thous)

Chrysocyon

Maned wolf
Maned wolf (C. brachyurus)

Cuon

Dhole
Dhole (C. alpinus)

Lycalopex

Culpeo
Culpeo (L. culpaeus) Darwin's fox
Darwin's fox (L. fulvipes) South American gray fox
South American gray fox (L. griseus) Pampas fox
Pampas fox (L. gymnocercus) Sechuran fox
Sechuran fox (L. sechurae) Hoary fox
Hoary fox (L. vetulus)

Lycaon

African wild dog
African wild dog (L. pictus)

Nyctereutes

Raccoon
Raccoon dog (N. procyonoides)

Otocyon

Bat-eared fox
Bat-eared fox (O. megalotis)

Speothos

Bush dog
Bush dog (S. venaticus)

Urocyon

Gray fox
Gray fox (U. cinereoargenteus) Island fox
Island fox (U. littoralis)

Vulpes (Foxes)

Bengal fox
Bengal fox (V. bengalensis) Blanford's fox
Blanford's fox (V. cana) Cape fox
Cape fox (V. chama) Corsac fox
Corsac fox (V. corsac) Tibetan sand fox
Tibetan sand fox (V. ferrilata) Arctic fox
Arctic fox (V. lagopus) Kit fox
Kit fox (V. macrotis) Pale fox
Pale fox (V. pallida) Rüppell's fox
Rüppell's fox (V. rueppelli) Swift fox
Swift fox (V. velox) Red fox
Red fox (V. vulpes) Fennec fox
Fennec fox (V. zerda)

Family Mustelidae

Lutrinae (Otters)

Aonyx

African clawless otter
African clawless otter (A. capensis) Oriental small-clawed otter
Oriental small-clawed otter (A. cinerea)

Enhydra

Sea otter
Sea otter (E. lutris)

Hydrictis

Spotted-necked otter
Spotted-necked otter (H. maculicollis)

Lontra

North American river otter
North American river otter (L. canadensis) Marine otter
Marine otter (L. felina) Neotropical otter
Neotropical otter (L. longicaudis) Southern river otter
Southern river otter (L. provocax)

Lutra

Eurasian otter
Eurasian otter (L. lutra) Hairy-nosed otter
Hairy-nosed otter (L. sumatrana)

Lutrogale

Smooth-coated otter
Smooth-coated otter (L. perspicillata)

Pteronura

Giant otter
Giant otter (P. brasiliensis)

Mustelinae (including badgers)

Arctonyx

Hog badger
Hog badger (A. collaris)

Eira

Tayra
Tayra (E. barbara)

Galictis

Lesser grison
Lesser grison (G. cuja) Greater grison
Greater grison (G. vittata)

Gulo

Wolverine
Wolverine (G. gulo)

Ictonyx

Saharan striped polecat
Saharan striped polecat (I. libyca) Striped polecat
Striped polecat (I. striatus)

Lyncodon

Patagonian weasel
Patagonian weasel (L. patagonicus)

Martes (Martens)

American marten
American marten (M. americana) Yellow-throated marten
Yellow-throated marten (M. flavigula) Beech marten
Beech marten (M. foina) Nilgiri marten
Nilgiri marten (M. gwatkinsii) European pine marten
European pine marten (M. martes) Japanese marten
Japanese marten (M. melampus) Sable
Sable (M. zibellina)

Pekania

Fisher (P. pennanti)

Meles

Japanese badger
Japanese badger (M. anakuma) Asian badger
Asian badger (M. leucurus) European badger
European badger (M. meles)

Mellivora

Honey badger
Honey badger (M. capensis)

Melogale (Ferret-badgers)

Bornean ferret-badger
Bornean ferret-badger (M. everetti) Chinese ferret-badger
Chinese ferret-badger (M. moschata) Javan ferret-badger
Javan ferret-badger (M. orientalis) Burmese ferret-badger
Burmese ferret-badger (M. personata)

Mustela (Weasels and Ferrets)

Amazon weasel
Amazon weasel (M. africana) Mountain weasel
Mountain weasel (M. altaica) Stoat
Stoat (M. erminea) Steppe polecat
Steppe polecat (M. eversmannii) Colombian weasel
Colombian weasel (M. felipei) Long-tailed weasel
Long-tailed weasel (M. frenata) Japanese weasel
Japanese weasel (M. itatsi) Yellow-bellied weasel
Yellow-bellied weasel (M. kathiah) European mink
European mink (M. lutreola) Indonesian mountain weasel
Indonesian mountain weasel (M. lutreolina) Black-footed ferret
Black-footed ferret (M. nigripes) Least weasel
Least weasel (M. nivalis) Malayan weasel
Malayan weasel (M. nudipes) European polecat
European polecat (M. putorius) Siberian weasel
Siberian weasel (M. sibirica) Back-striped weasel
Back-striped weasel (M. strigidorsa) Egyptian weasel
Egyptian weasel (M. subpalmata)

Neovison (Minks)

American mink
American mink (N. vison)

Poecilogale

African striped weasel
African striped weasel (P. albinucha)

Taxidea

American badger
American badger (T. taxus)

Vormela

Marbled polecat
Marbled polecat (V. peregusna)

v t e

Eusociality

Topics

Evolution of eusociality Presociality Social insects

Gamergate Group selection Haplodiploidy Identity in social insects Kin recognition Kin selection Sexual selection in social insects Thelytoky Worker policing

Groups

Hymenoptera

Ant Apidae Crabronidae Halictidae Honey bee Vespidae

Mammalia

Blesmol Dwarf mongoose Meerkat

Crustacea

Synalpheus

Thysanoptera

Kladothrips

Hemiptera

Aphididae

Coleoptera

Austroplatypus incompertus

Isoptera

In culture

Bee (mythology)

Pioneers, works

Karl von Frisch

The Dancing Bees 1927

Charles Duncan Michener

The Bees of the World 2000

E. O. Wilson

The Ants 1990 Sociobiology: The New Synthesis 1975

Mammals portal Animals portal Biology portal

Taxon identifiers

Wd: Q134015 ADW: Suricata_suricatta ARKive: suricata-suricatta EoL: 311580 EPPO: SURITE Fossilworks: 232149 GBIF: 2434126 iNaturalist: 41943 ITIS: 621906 IUCN: 41624 MSW: 14000678 NCBI: 37032

Authority control

LCCN: sh9200