THE SLENDER-TAILED MEERKAT 



and on the move, or lying basking on their backs 

 in the sun once again. 



A meerkat which I kept for a considerable time 

 in captivity successfully attacked and killed several 

 venomous snakes which I threw in front of it. 

 Watching its opportunity it made a rapid rush, 

 seized the reptile by the head, and held grimly on 

 until it had succeeded in crushing the skull. It 

 then chewed up the head and swallowed it before 

 satisfying its hunger from the body part. I could 

 never induce it to attack large venomous snakes. 

 It was evidently aware of the danger involved in 

 so doing. 



As a pet the Slender- tailed Meerkat is in great 

 demand. There is a considerable mortality amongst 

 meerkats kept in captivity, for the reason that 

 they are overfed, and in consequence their digestive 

 organs become seriously deranged. They grow 

 emaciated, and the stomach and bowels become 

 greatly dilated. This habit of feeding household 

 pets at any odd time always brings about disease 

 in some form in the animals. Unfortunately 

 the unscientific custom is well-nigh universal of 

 feeding children in the same haphazard way, 

 allowing them to eat sweets, cakes, and other 

 foodstuffs between meals, thus laying a sure founda- 

 tion for future ill-health ; or bringing about the 

 death of the child from some disease which 

 its weakened body and impure blood could not 

 overcome. 



61 



