Sentinel behavior in captive meerkats (Suricata suricatta).

ABSTRACT: The social and cooperative behavior of meerkats (Suricata suricatta), specifically their sentinel behavior, has been intensively studied in free-ranging populations. This study focuses on whether guarding in captive meerkats exhibits a pattern similar to that described for wild groups. Sentinel behavior in captivity has been somewhat neglected because predation is usually not a critical factor. Nonetheless, observations in captivity might reveal whether individual or group experience influences this specific behavior pattern. We observed three captive meerkat groups (in outdoor as well as indoor enclosures) and analyzed the duration of guarding sequences, the number of established guards, the guard posture, and the individual guard positions. We also conducted playback experiments to inves

SUBMITTER: Huels FD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11497295 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature