Meerkats are one species of cats, but are more alike to bears or hyenas, but their heads do look very much like cats. This is the typical attitude of a meerkat: on its hind legs, its eyes intent on the distance.
Meerkats are very social animals and also very hard-working. While some work on the construction, the others look out for possible dangers.
Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are mammals and belong to the order of predators – more precisely: in the family of the mongooses. They are related to the Mardern and are also called Surikate. Meerkats are diurnal animals and like to bask near their burrows when they are not busy digging or searching for food, such as spiders.
Meerkats are also called “scratchers” because they scrabble around on the ground during the day looking for food with their strong claws. With their tail set they nip over the red sand in search of insects. Again and again they straighten themselves up to peer into the distance: Lurking perhaps snakes there?
Meerkats are up to 30 inches long. They have a bushy, about 25 centimeters long tail. Their claws on the paws make them easier to scratch for food. The weight of adult meerkats is about 600 to 900 grams. The coat of the mongoose is gray, beige or light brown with dark horizontal stripes. The meerkats owe their cunning appearance to the dark borders around the eyes, the so-called mask.
Mainly meerkats eat insects. In addition, they also feed on scorpions, lizards, spiders and eggs that they dig out of the ground, but also of snakes or even small birds.
If a meerkat has found something edible, the animal sits upright and sniffs the food with its good sense of smell. With his strong forepaws, the food is kept. In today’s article, we are going to talk about Meerkats, the symbolism and meaning behind them and also about the meaning of a Meerkat spirit animal and totem.
Spirit Animal and Totem
Many nature-loving – especially Indian – cultures are very closely linked to the concept and conception of power animals. Even though in Germany and Europe in earlier times the relationship to plant and especially tree spirits was traditionally more pronounced, the belief in the importance and value of power animals was very common and important.
Depending on the natural occurrence of the different animals in the respective region, the different animal species play and played a more or less pronounced role. Power animals play a central role in spiritual life. Knowing and connecting with them can be very helpful in finding one’s own strength and in one’s own development. And conversely, being separated from this power will hinder the human being, and the shamans are convinced that it can even make him seriously ill.
If a power animal joins your life as a helper animal, it only accompanies you for a certain period of time, due to a particular situation or situation, such as illness or difficult decisions.
As a totem animal or spirit animal, Meerkat can best be described with words such as: attentive, trickster, smart and resilient. These small animals learned how to survive the difficult conditions in nature with only the help of their brains, which is why many admire them. People guided by the Meerkat spirit animal and totem are very smart and this intelligence doesn’t necessarily come from books. This is the type of smart that comes from experiences and relationships with other people that shape them into a complete human being.
You are also a very capable person, which means you are able to make a living for yourself and your family which is a very important trait.
Meerkats symbolize attentiveness, and this is probably the first thing we think of when we imagine a Meerkat. You don’t let anything slip by you and you are always aware of things that happening around you.
There is no way an opportunity is going to pass by you, without you noticing it. This is why many people feel as though they are not careful enough around you. as soon as you see an opportunity you are already on it and you would never let anyone take something away from you, at least not if you saw it first.
You are also a very talented tradesman and salesman, because you tend to say just the right things to people and the things they want to hear. Bad thing about this totem and spirit animal is that it can be a dishonest person sometimes and not a very loyal friend.
When times get tough you are not the person that stays around, since you will be off to a new adventure and too worried about your own problems.
Symbolism and Meaning
Meerkats are mostly interesting because of their unusual behavior. They have been portrayed in many cartoons and movies especially because of their life habits that are quite strange.
Meerkats are always in groups, hiding under the ground or behind piles of dirt, and only peek up when they hear something.
The way they peek from behind something is so hilarious and interesting, that there is no reason to animate them further when they are funny by themselves.
Meerkats are also very hardworking, which is another reason why they have been worshipped by many tribes in Africa, even though they had a tendency to do so on people’s expense.
When it comes to culture and tradition, meerkats are a part of African culture and we can find their images on old objects and artifacts. Since they haven’t been introduced to the rest of the world for hundreds of years, there isn’t much to say about their impact on the northern hemisphere. In Africa they were seen by tribes as tricksters and quite smart animals that are always searching for a way to feed them by tricking people for their food.
In other tribes, meerkats are seen as symbols of friendship, socializing and close bonds with others because they are constantly surrounded by their own kind. This makes them invincible and protects them from the predators.
