Facts about the Suricate -- Suricata suricatta:

A summary of most interesting statistics (size, gestation...), amazing environmental adaptations & fascinating facts about social habits, etc.

SIZE: Length (including tail) 50 cm, mass 730 g.

COLOUR: Varies from silver-grey to greyish-brown with irregular brown or black bands across the back, from shoulders to base of the tail. Head and throat are often whitish with dark nose, ears and circles around the eyes. The tip of the tail is also dark.

GESTATION PERIOD: 11 weeks

POTENTIAL LONGEVITY: 12 - 13 years

MOST LIKE: The Banded Mongoose, which is also active by day. The suricate is smaller, the dark bands across its back are less distinct and its tail is short-haired and slender rather than bushy.

HABITAT: Arid, open country, including scrub, grassland and fynbos in the southwestern Cape.

WHERE FOUND:
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park