Meerkats live in groups called clans of up to 40 individuals for protection and hunting cooperation. They reside in underground burrow systems with multiple chambers in the Kalahari desert and other parts of Africa and the Middle East. Meerkats subsist on a diet of insects, worms, and other small prey caught through coordinated foraging efforts. Though often portrayed as cute, they are also capable hunters and will fiercely defend their burrow territories from threats.