Lecture 5- Meerkats and Banded Mongoose Flashcards
To what order do meerkats belong to?
Carnivora
How many terrestrial families are in Carnivora?
12
Which family do meerkats belong to?
Mongoose family, herpestidae
How many are in the meerkat group structure?
Up to 25 individuals, with a dominant male and a dominant female
What percentage of meerkat young does the dominant female produce?
More than eighty per cent
Do meerkat subordinate males breed?
Yes especially outside of own group but comes with cost, risk of serious injury
What 3 mechanisms do dominant meerkat females use to prevent subordinate females from reproducing?
Infanticide - of subordinate pups (or other way round- dominant pups)
Expulsion
Chronic stress
What does higher levels of predation cause? (meerkat)
Higher mortality rates
What is the ALLEE EFFECT?
A phenomenon characterized by a positive correlation between population density and per capita population growth rate
How many is in the group structure of a banded mongoose?
Typically 10-30 animals, can be up to 75
How many mongoose individuals are core to breeding?
1-5 females, 3-7 males
Are the mongoose groups heavily male or female?
Male
Are mongoose groups closely related?
Males closely related
Females closely related
Males and females not closely related
Do mongoose males and females leave the natal group?
Groups of males leave the natal group together but groups of females are forcibly evicted
What percentage of mongoose females give birth of the same day?
64%
