Are meerkats resistant to poison?

Behold the formidable scorpion: an ancient, venomous creature of the Earth. Scorpions were among the first creatures to leave the oceans and venture onto land. They moved onto land in pursuit of their fish prey, which had begun developing limbs, becoming the first amphibians.

For 430 million years, the scorpion has crawled over rocks and soil—even scaling high mountains—evolving only to become smaller over time [source: University of Arizona]. The scorpion’s survival over such an extended period is largely due to the lethal venom in its tail, capable of incapacitating both prey and predator. In certain species, a potent enough venom dose can even kill a human.

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The scorpion’s venom is a blend of neurotoxins. Once injected into the bloodstream, these toxins target the central nervous system. The victim may experience convulsions, frothing at the mouth, loss of control over their limbs, involuntary eye movements, and paralysis of the heart and respiratory systems, ultimately leading to death.

If a scorpion can kill a human, what kind of match would a meerkat pose to this deadly creature? Let’s see. Here comes a meerkat, strolling through Africa’s Kalahari Desert.

As the meerkat approaches, the scorpion detects its presence using pectines, tiny sensory structures on its underside. These sensors pick up the slightest vibrations. The scorpion realizes the meerkat is nearby and raises its tail, prepared to strike.

The meerkat notices the scorpion. It stands on its hind legs and assesses the lethal threat. The meerkat inches closer, perhaps too close for comfort. It looks like things might not end well for the meerkat. The scorpion raises its tail fully, ready to sting. Here it comes. Wait!

Suddenly, without warning, the meerkat grabs the scorpion with its forepaws, bites off the stinger, drags the creature through the sand, and takes a bite out of its body. After a few nibbles, the scorpion stops moving. The meerkat finishes its meal and hops away.

What just happened? The meerkat should be dead by now. Why isn't it? Find out on the next page.

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Meerkats' Poison Immunity

Shouldn’t the meerkat that just consumed the venomous scorpion be dead? It’s perfectly fine. In fact, it looks a bit sluggish after such a large meal. How is this possible? Meerkats have developed a method to handle scorpion venom. What’s more, they may even tolerate bites from some venomous snakes.

Biologists have confirmed that meerkats possess immunity to the venom of certain snakes due to their shared ancestry with the mongoose family. In places like India, mongooses are highly valued as guardians because of their ability to combat lethal snakes, such as cobras. This characteristic may have been passed on to meerkats as they evolved from mongooses on the African plains. However, meerkat immunity to snake venom is still debated. When faced with a snake, meerkats engage in a behavior known as mobbing [source: Animal Planet]. This involves surrounding the snake, raising their tails, and moving in unison as if they were one large creature [source: Roberts].

Typically, mobbing is sufficient to drive away even the most dangerous of snakes. However, it's not foolproof. There have been instances where meerkats were bitten by venomous snakes. Some survived, while others did not. Therefore, scientists remain unsure whether meerkats are entirely immune to snake venom.

You might have heard that meerkats are immune to scorpion venom. This claim is somewhat misleading. If a meerkat is stung by a particularly lethal scorpion species, such as a cape scorpion or granulated scorpion, it could still die [source: Kalahari Meerkat Project]. However, meerkats have developed a strategy for dealing with the venom of the scorpions they typically consume.

When a meerkat spots a scorpion, it quickly makes its move to catch the prey. The scorpion may sense the meerkat's approach, but it’s too slow to react before the meerkat grabs it. The meerkat targets the tail, bites off the stinger, and discards it. Without its stinger, the scorpion can no longer inject venom into the meerkat's body. Although the pincers at the end of a scorpion's limbs might look dangerous, they are actually used for grasping and holding, not for injecting venom.

Once the scorpion's stinger is removed, its fate is practically sealed. However, venom may still be present on its exoskeleton. To prevent exposure, meerkats have learned to brush off any remaining venom in the sand after removing the stinger [source: Meerkat Info]. With the scorpion properly prepared, it's time for the meerkat to feast.

Meerkat observations have revealed that adults take the time to teach their pups how to safely eat a scorpion. The teaching process unfolds in stages. First, pups are given dead scorpions to practice on, then scorpions with their stingers removed. As the pups mature, they're handed disabled scorpions, stinger and all. Finally, as they approach independence, an adult may throw them a live scorpion to catch and consume [source: BBC]. It’s a true test of survival at this point.

Meerkats consume scorpions in such a precise manner that it's not entirely accurate to claim they are immune to venom. Since a scorpion's sting or the bite of a venomous snake can still be lethal, they must be cautious. Nevertheless, they’ve adapted remarkably well to the dangers they face.