Their legs are short and their bodies are long and thin. Their tails are also long and thin with a dark tip. They often stand on their rear legs and gaze alertly over the southern African plains where they live. Mothers can even nurse their young while standing.

Meerkats work together in numbers. A few will act as lookouts, watching the skies for birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, that can snatch them from the ground. Meerkats will eat insects, lizards, birds, and fruit. They are good hunters and are tamed for use as rodent-catchers.