Cuddly, cute, and chaotic might use to describe meerkats, but they are just myths. They’re highly developed and come with some remarkable changes that aren’t readily apparent. Explore the following information that will amaze your neighbors, friends, or even your kids.
Fact #1: Meerkats are not averse to poison
Meerkats might be able to manage bites from various kinds of snakes that are venomous. Biologists have discovered that meerkats are immune to certain snakes’ venom since they are part of the Mongoose Family. In certain parts of the globe, humans value mongooses for their house security because they are capable of fighting dangerous snakes, such as cobras. They can feel sick for a few hours when they are bitten but eventually recover completely.
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Fact#2: Meerkats are tough if you look like the food you ate.
Meerkats can be adorable. However, they are a danger to their lives. They have devised a method to deal with the venom found in the scorpions they consume. When a scorpion is able to see meerkats, it tries to get into the meerkat’s territory quickly to kill it. The scorpion could be aware there’s a meerkat in the vicinity, but it catches the arachnid with such speed it’s unable to strike. At first, the meerkat focuses on the tail, slicing away the scorpion’s poison before throwing it away. Without its tail, the scorpion cannot strike, delivering the venom. The pincers could create a nasty nip; however, that’s about it. However, there is still venom in its exoskeleton. To counter this, the meerkats have been taught to rub scorpions with sand to eliminate any remaining poison. The lunch is ready!
Facts #3: The fact is that Meerkats are extremely intelligent.
Meerkats are smarter than they appear. A recent study from St Andrews University – Scotland discovered that meerkats have sophisticated coordination, which surpasses the chimps of dolphins, baboons, and humans. They tackle tasks with assistance from their mates but also with a little independent thinking. Meerkats were observed to be engaged in many different social and asocial behavior to accomplish problems. In general, the social elements contributed to bringing the meerkats closer to the task, and the asocial aspects assisted them in solving the problem.
Fact #4 – Meerkats are Omnivores!
It might surprise you to find out that meerkats are omnivores that eat fruits and vegetables, as well as animals. Like humans, they don’t have extra fat stores in their bodies, so hunting for food is a regular task. Their diet is mostly composed of insects that they detect with their increased perception of a smell. They also consume small rodents, fruits, eggs, birds, and lizards, and we’ve also seen scorpions that are poisonous and snakes.
Fact#5: The desert is dry, but meerkats do not drink water.
Despite being in the desert, astonishingly, meerkats don’t require any additional water for their food. Meerkats receive all the water they require from the insects and grubs they consume. Humans would die in three to five days without water.
Fact #6: The Meerkats can be found in deserts of all kinds.
Meerkats are found in every part in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, throughout the Namib Desert in Namibia, and the south-western part of Angola as well as in South Africa.
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Fact #7 – Meerkats have incredible eyesight
They can see birds from far away in the distance on the horizon! Vision is their strongest sense. They have dark spots around their eyes that cut down on the sun’s glare and allow them to see further in the distance. The long, horizontal pupils offer meerkats a broad field of vision without having to turn their heads. Meerkats are designed to dig with a membrane that could shield the eyes to keep them safe.
Fact #8: Meerkats can become astonishingly old
Meerkats can live for up eight years wild, but their lives can be tough, and they are a target for predators. In captivity, they can live between 12 and 14 years old and have been reported to live as long as 20 years.
