Meerkats are mongooses and live in arid and semi-arid areas of the western parts of southern Africa, including the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Meerkats are carnivorous and mostly eat beetle larvae, grubs, locust and various insects, plus scorpions, small lizards and even some snakes. They are very social animals living in colonies in underground burrows and chambers, this is where the young, or kits, are born after a gestation period of 11 weeks. Only the dominant female breeds. Each adult meerkat has his or her own job either as a baby-sitter, teacher, hunter or sentry. Sentries are the ones that survey the area looking for predators and are seen standing up on their hind legs using their tails for balance.

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