Use the keyword table method. While reading, underline:
Then match these directly to question keywords.
| Question Type | Example Answer | |----------------|----------------| | T/F/NG | True: “Helpers are often non-breeding females.” | | Heading | Paragraph about alarms → “Warning Systems” | | Short Answer | “What removes stinger?” → Adult meerkat | | Diagram | Position of sentinel → Top of mound |
By mastering the Meerkat Study IELTS Reading answers, you not only score higher on animal behavior passages but also build transferable skills for scientific and descriptive texts.
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To master the Meerkat Study IELTS Reading answers, practice with: meerkat study ielts reading answers
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13, which are based on the reading passage below.
A
At first glance, the meerkat (Suricata suricatta) appears unremarkable—a small mongoose native to the Kalahari Desert. Yet decades of ethological research have revealed that this creature operates one of nature’s most sophisticated cooperative systems. Unlike solitary carnivores, meerkats live in mobs of up to 50 individuals, displaying altruistic behaviours rarely seen outside the primate order.
B
Central to meerkat society is sentinel duty. One member climbs an elevated termite mound or acacia branch to scan for predators such as jackals, eagles, and snakes. When danger approaches, the sentinel emits a distinct alarm call—different frequencies for aerial versus terrestrial threats. Remarkably, sentinels forgo their own foraging to guard others, a practice that puzzled early Darwinian biologists. Modern inclusive fitness theory resolves this paradox: helpers are usually related, protecting shared genetic material.
C
A longitudinal study conducted by the Kalahari Meerkat Project (1993–present) tracked 14 mobs over 12 breeding seasons. Researchers observed that teaching, once considered uniquely human, occurs in meerkats. Adult helpers demonstrate scorpion-disarming techniques to pups, gradually providing injured prey to train safe handling. This ‘scaffolding’ behaviour increased pup survival by 31% compared to controls.
D
Reproductive suppression is another striking feature. In each mob, a dominant alpha female produces 80% of litters; subordinates assist in pup-rearing but rarely breed. Hormonal analysis revealed that subordinate females experience elevated stress cortisol, which suppresses ovulation. However, when alpha females were experimentally removed, subordinates began reproducing within weeks, confirming that social control, not mere infertility, drives this system. Use the keyword table method
E
Climate data from 2005–2015 showed that meerkat group size correlates with rainfall variability. During drought years, smaller mobs had higher juvenile mortality (57% vs. 22% in large mobs). Larger groups benefit from ‘pooled vigilance’—more eyes mean less individual time on lookout, freeing energy for foraging. This buffer effect explains why meerkats are atypical among desert mammals: they thrive in dense communities rather than dispersing.
F
However, cooperation has costs. Alloparenting (non-parental care) reduces helper body mass by 12% over a dry season. Additionally, sentinels face higher predation risk: a 2012 telemetry study found that 19% of sentinel deaths occurred on duty versus 6% during other activities. Nonetheless, the fitness benefits—group survival during famines, predator detection, and knowledge transfer—consistently outweigh these costs, as modelled by Hamilton’s rule (rB > C).
G
Practical applications have emerged from this research. Wildlife managers now use meerkat alarm call recordings to reduce human-wildlife conflict; broadcasting terrestrial alarms deters meerkats from crossing roads. More broadly, the meerkat model informs organisational psychology—‘redundant vigilance’ in teams and ‘rotating leadership’ mirror corporate risk management strategies.
Before looking at the answers, ensure you understand these terms used in the text:
Part 1: The Family Mob In the Kalahari Desert, a mob (group) of meerkats lived under the dominant female, Big Mama. Only she bred; other females helped raise pups. This is cooperative breeding. Scientists from Cambridge studied them for years. Then match these directly to question keywords
Part 2: The Alarm Call Experiment One morning, WeeWoo (a young adult male) spotted a predator — a jackal. He stood on his hind legs, gave a high-pitched bark (an airborne predator alarm). The mob scattered into burrows. For a snake (ground predator), he gave a different, urgent chattering sound. The researchers noted: Meerkats have referential alarm calls (specific calls for specific dangers).
Part 3: The Pup’s Lesson Later, WeeWoo took his little sister, Pip, to hunt scorpions. Pip was afraid. WeeWoo gently removed the scorpion’s stinger (a teaching behavior called “sting removal”) and gave it to Pip. She learned. The study showed: Meerkats actively teach their young — one of the few non-human animals to do so.
Part 4: The Sentinel At noon, WeeWoo climbed a termite mound — acting as sentinel (guard). He gave a soft, continuous “watchman’s call” meaning “All safe.” Others foraged. When danger came, he stopped singing — triggering instant flight. The data proved: Sentinel duty is cooperative, not selfish.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
From real test reports and Cambridge IELTS practice books, the Meerkat passage typically includes: