We need more meerkats in our lives

[packman]

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More photos and info at:

http://leenks.com/link514594.html

Wonder if they would survive if imported into US? Seems like we could use these little, friendly beasts to replace those nasty groundhogs

[murielm99]

1. I love them!

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. You don't really think groundhogs are nasty do you? nt

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

16. They are cute, but infringe on their territory and LOOK OUT! Can't really blame them, though...

[oldandhappy]

3. cute!

[Solly Mack]

4. I love meerkats. Groundhogs are not nasty!

[hobbit709]

5. My little monster will stand up and look around like that.

She's mostly Basenji.

[passiveporcupine]

7. She is beautiful!

[hobbit709]

8. But a handful. She's quite obstinate and willful.

She only pays attention when she wants something.

[catbyte]

10. Sweetie Pie!

That's one special girl you've got there, hobbit. I just love seeing pictures of her. I can't believe that some creep would abandon her. She's so gorgeous.

[shenmue]

13. Arf arf

[passiveporcupine]

6. I've taken in rescue ferrets

and these Meerkats remind me a lot of ferrets. Very special little animals.

[catbyte]

9. They're so cool. Thanks for posting!

[pinboy3niner]

11. DU has plenty of mere cats on Sunday mornings

[Cassidy]

12. No imports, please!

Burmese pythons, Eurasian collared doves, starlings, kudzu, tumbleweeds, Russian olive are just a small set of species introduced to the Americas that are now completely out of control. Please, let's have more appreciation for the natives and less devastation of our natural environment.

Although they should not be domesticated, I think our native prairie dogs can easily match meerkats for cuteness.



Photo from Curtis J. Carley - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service via Wikipedia

[yesphan]

15. Let's not forget

about the Giant Hogweed !

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/hogweed.shtml


More:

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

17. Starlings are imported? Learn something new every day!

[Cassidy]

18. Starlings were intentionally brought to the US by Shakespeare aficionados.

"It is hard to imagine now, but European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris, Fig. 1) were purposefully introduced from Europe into this country. After two failed attempts, about 60 European starlings were released into New York’s Central Park in 1890 by a small group of people with a passion to introduce all of the animals mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare. The offspring of the original 60 starlings have spread across the continental United States, northward to southern Canada and Alaska, and southward into Central America. There are now an estimated 150 million starlings in the United States."

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/starlings.html

Personally, I wish we could send them back!

[valerief]

20. And nutria, too! nt

[Gloria]

22. Out here, they stand in for groundhogs on Groundhogs Day

and do a fine job, LOL!!

I have rock squirrels living in a nice condo on the other side of my wall, which faces a big arroyo which is like a nature park.
Today I was sitting in my sunroom and saw a quail hanging out on my wall, then a big roadrunner strolled along the wall, what passes for a cardinal took a drink at my birdbath, and the little lizard with the cut off tail was POUNCING on what I think were tiny ants! Never saw that before...I saw his little front legs and he just lunged.

That's the reward for sitting still for 20 or 30 minutes with a cup of tea and just BEING...

Simply wonderful!

And the moon has risen over the Organ Mountains and I grabbed a couple of shots. Tomorrow's Blood Moon should be incredible.

[Wolf Frankula]

14. Libertoonians Love them Too

Hear them talk on and on about free meerkats.

Wolf

[Glassunion]

19. I just realized that I have a profile not too different from the meerkats.

Skinny, a bit of a belly, slouching shoulders, and a rather prominent pointy chin.

That's a handsome fellow, if I do say so.

[BlueJazz]

21. They're adorable. The photographer needs to buy some better equipment though.

(that lens probably cost as much as my car!)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

23. They're cute but should not be imported.

They are nothing like groundhogs, which are rodents and herbivores. Meerkats are in the mongoose family, and are carnivores, eating mostly insects, lizards and snakes. They would not take over the ecological niche occupied by groundhogs, but would instead compete with small native carnivores like weasels. It's almost always a bad idea to import any species.