EXERCISE

1. According to the article, which of the following is not a way meerkats would react to a predator? a. Meerkats might run to the safety of their

burrow. b. Meerkats might climb a tree to escape a

predator. c. A guard meerkat might call out an alarm. d. Meerkats might stand in a group, hissing, until

the predator leaves.

2. Based on what you learned in the article, why do meerkats make different calls?

3. Meerkats are able to live in complex burrows and even expand the burrows of previous animals. What are two physical traits that help meerkats do this?

4. If you see a group of meerkats standing very straight on their hind legs, what are they most likely doing? a. sunbathing b. sniffing out prey to eat c. watching for predators d. socialising with each other

5. According to the information in the article, how are the internal clocks, or active and resting times, of meerkats similar to those of humans?

Match each vocabulary word with the correct definition. 1. diminishes a. a young animal 2. slender

3. vicious

4. jackal

5. dominant

6. juvenile

7. occupy

8. mongoose

9. diurnal

10. membrane

b. a small carnivorous mammal related to the meerkat

c. most powerful

d. decreases; makes something less e. violent; cruel

f. active during the day

g. a thin structure that acts as a boundary in an organism

h. a wild dog that lives in Africa

i. gracefully thin; slight

j. reside in a certain place