The Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is a small African mammal. It is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon (Xbox).
Description[]
The meerkat is a small member of the mongoose family, with a body length of only 35cm (13.8in) long. It can be identified by its slim build, broad head, thin tail and brindled patterning on its fur. Its long, curved foreclaws are used for digging and its large eyes give it binocular vision, allowing it to see predators from great distances away. Meerkats are primarily insectivores, with a strong preference for beetles, but they will eat other animals and plants. They are mostly active in early morning and late afternoon, taking shelter in large burrow systems.
The meerkat is most commonly found in arid regions of southern Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert. They are extremely social animals, living in groups of up to 30 individuals with a clear dominance hierarchy. Dominant females will give birth to a litter of up to seven pups, which the lower-ranking non-breeding individuals will help care for. Each day, a meerkat pack will spend up to eight hours a day foraging for food, with some individuals acting as sentries to spot approaching danger. A wild meerkat may live for up to 15 years.
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
The meerkat is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2 and was added as part of the African Adventure expansion pack. In Campaign and Challenge mode, it is adoptable when a zoo reaches a rating of 3.5 stars. It has the scientific name of the South African meerkat in the Zoopedia.
The meerkat is a Scrub animal, but will also tolerate Savannah and Grassland. Meerkats can be very aggressive towards each other, and if multiple males are included in an exhibit, they may fight and kill each other. The first scenario of African Adventure requires the player to create a suitable exhibit for meerkats and take photos of them.
Zoo Tycoon (Xbox)[]
The meerkat is an adoptable animal in the Xbox version of Zoo Tycoon and is available in the original game. It is available for adoption when a zoo reaches a rating of 9.
The meerkat is a Mini-Exhibit animal and lives in the Savannah Rock mini-exhibit. Up to three meerkats can be placed in an exhibit.
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game[]
The meerkat is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game. It is classed as a "Co-Species" carnivore and is adopted during the Autumn months.
The meerkat is a Savannah animal. As a co-species, it can be exhibited on its own or with a compatible "Main" species. As such, it can be exhibited alongside the Arabian Oryx, Common Ostrich, Giraffe, Northern Bald Ibis or Plains Zebra.
Gallery[]
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
Zoo Tycoon (Xbox)[]
Trivia[]
- In early versions of The Board Game, Meerkat was misspelled as "Merkat" before being corrected for the final release.
- The typo can even be seen in the promotional Kickstarter video.