If the individual meerkat is on guard and danger is approaching, they will sound the alarm to the rest of the group. Meerkats are known to use a wide range of vocal calls to communicate with each other. Long howls are used to warn the rest of the group of an approaching bird of prey, and short double barks are used to warn them of a predator approaching the group on the ground. An individual meerkat group’s territory covers an area large enough to ensure that the group has everything they need to survive as successfully as possible. This includes areas with both hard and soft sand, as while the hard sand provides the perfect ground to build their tunnels in, it also requires more energy for meerkats to forage for food. Dimensions: 3.5 x 2 x 6.25 centimetres.