Featured Article: Why do meerkat pups play?
Young meerkat pups pass their days in the Kalahari Desert by playing. But it's not all fun and games: Playtime makes them vulnerable to predators. So why persist? See more »
small carnivores library
Small carnivores help control the populations of rodents, snakes and insects. Small carnivores include animals like weasels, wolverines, minks and badgers.
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Amazing Animals: Meerkat Quiz
Meerkats aren't your typical cute, furry rodents. These desert dwellers are members of close-knit communities where everyone pitches in to look out for predators and teach the young. When they aren't looking for a bite to eat or grooming each other's fur, however, meerkats can be lethally competitive. What is it about these African critters that leaves us so enthralled?
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Are meerkats immune to poison?
Mealtime in the Kalahari Desert isn't exactly an all-you-can-eat buffet. Meerkats eat what they can get -- even poisonous scorpions. Why doesn't the venom hurt them?
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Are meerkats naturally generous?
When it comes to lending a helping paw, meerkats are quite altruistic. Strangely, they evolved from the mongoose -- a real loner. What gives?
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How do meerkat groups choose a dominant female?
She's a vicious social climber, willing to do anything to get to the top. In her quest to be queen, she's snubbed girls and stolen their men. Oh, yes -- and she's a meerkat.
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How do meerkats communicate?
From sonnets to Skype, humans have been perfecting communication for centuries. Meerkats have their own ways of pointing out danger, food and even happiness.
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How Meerkats Work
You're probably familiar with celebrity meerkats like the Whiskers clan and Timon. But do you know anything else about this creature from the Kalahari?
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If a skunk sprays me, do I have to bathe in tomato juice?
If you've been sprayed by a skunk, you probably ended up in a bathtub filled with tomato juice. But is there any truth to this treatment, or should we debunk the skunk?
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Why are otters playful?
If the animal world were school, otters would be those kids who never leave the playground. Always begging for five more minutes of recess, otters take playtime very seriously.
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Why do meerkat pups play?
Young meerkat pups pass their days in the Kalahari Desert by playing. But it's not all fun and games: Playtime makes them vulnerable to predators. So why persist?
See more »
Why do raccoons wash their food?
With their built-in masks and ability to snatch food, it seems raccoons were meant for a life of crime. But do these thieves wash away the evidence by rinsing food in water?
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Badger
Badger, a rather short, thickset, fur-bearing mammal. Badgers have extremely powerful forelegs with long claws, which they use to dig their burrows.
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Ermine
Ermine, any weasel whose fur turns white in winter. The term usually refers to the short-tailed weasel, or stoat (Mustela erminea), of Eurasia and North America.
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Ferret
Ferret, a carnivorous mammal related to the weasel. The domestic ferret, when mature, is about 19 inches (48 cm) long, including a 5-inch (13-cm) tail.
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Otter
Otter, a mammal that lives in and near water. Otters are related to weasels, badgers, and skunks.
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Raccoon
Raccoon, a small, furred animal found in the Western Hemisphere from southern Canada to Paraguay.
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Skunk
Skunk, a mammal found only in the Americas and noted for its offensive odor. Skunks are black or blackish with various types of white markings and have long, bushy tails.
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Wolverine
Wolverine, a meat-eating animal of the Northern Hemisphere. The name is probably derived from "wolf," although wolverines and wolves are not related.
See more »Civet
Civet, a small, catlike mammal related to the mongoose. There are several species, most of which inhabit forests or savannas in Africa and Southeast Asia.
See more »Coati
Coati, or Coatimundi, a small mammal related to the raccoon. There are two species.
See more »Fossa
Fossa, a mammal related to the mongoose. It lives in the forested areas of the island of Madagascar.
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