Photo: Meerkat Animal Picture

This Meerkat resides in his luxurious home at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand.

The Meerkat is a funny little animal that belongs to the mongoose family and are found in the regions of Africa. This particular fellow can be seen at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand with the rest of his family members.

In the wild, a Meerkat lives in the desert which is one of the toughest land environments to survive in. They feed mainly on meat and plants and very rarely drink as water in the desert is hard to come by.

The Meerkat only grows to be about 14 inches long or 24 inches including their tails. The weight of a Meerkat is no more than about 1.58 pounds and they are extremely long and thin. They are a light brownish color except for their black eyes patches which helps them with the glare of the sun and they have small black ears that can close up so that the sand from the desert does not get in.

Their long claws help to dig their underground burrows which protects them from the sun and predators as well it gives them a safe location to keep their young. ... continue below the picture...

This picture is part of the photo album "Animal Pictures" - there are more beautiful images waiting for you.

... The Meerkat is a group related animal as they live in colonies from about 10 to 30 animals. Teamwork is what the Meerkat is all about especially in their daily routine of looking after their young and survival.

The Meerkat is not an endangered species and they are continually on the rise as they can have up to three litters in a year span with each litter consisting of an average of three.You can spend hours at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand watching the Meerkat race around the tunnels of their habitat.

Meerkat, Suricata suricatta, at the Auckland Zoo, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand.