One meerkat will stand watch in order to warn the group with a shrill cry when a dangerous predator approaches. Hawks, eagles and jackals hunt meerkats. Meerkats frequently sit or stand on their hind legs in an upright position, using their tail as a third leg. The meerkat is a sleek, furry animal the size of a squirrel. It has sharp claws which it uses to dig burrows, to scratch the ground for insects to eat, and to catch prey.
Meerkats have closable ears.
They scratch into the ground for insects and insect larvae to eat.