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 isa 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. 
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