In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Meerkat in 9 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Meerkat.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Meerkat - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Your first step is the meerkat's head. Draw a rounded head with a pointy nose, and leave the right side open.
Step 2: For the next step, draw the meerkat's back. This should be a long vertical line because the meerkat is standing up.
Step 3: Draw the body. The meerkat has a rounded and pudgy stomach, so make sure you draw a curved line instead of a straight one.
Step 4: Now draw the first foot. Draw a long curved line for the leg with the foot at the end, narrow and straight.
Step 5: Draw the other foot. This one is in front of the first one, so it connects to the meerkat's back.
Step 6: Your next step is to draw the meerkat's hand. Because of the way the meerkat is turned, you can only see part of this hand.
Step 7: Now draw the meerkat's other hand. Meerkats have long and thin arms, so start at the shoulder and end at about the bottom of the belly.
Step 8: Next, draw the tail. The tail is long and curved. It starts at the bottom of the body, dips down, and then comes back up to the same height where it started.
Step 9: Your last step is to add the finishing touches. Draw the eye, nose, mouth and ear.
Interesting Facts about Meerkats
Meerkats are mammals of the mongoose family. They are the only members that do not have a bushy tail. They have tan or gray fur with stripes down their back and pointed noses. Meerkats live in burrows underground. They come from the southern part of Africa and dwell in grasslands and deserts.
Did you know?
- On average, meerkats are about 10 to 14 inches long. They weigh about 1.5 pounds.
- Meerkats usually eat plants, fruit, small rodents, scorpions, caterpillars, beetles, spiders, and eggs.
- A sentry is one or more meerkats who keep a lookout for predators while the rest of the mob forages for food.
- Meerkats have amazing eyesight. They can see as far as at least a thousand feet away.
- The lifespan of meerkats is 10 years.
- Meerkats have dark areas around their eyes that protect them when they look up into the sunny sky.
One of the most famous meerkats is Timone from the Disney movie The Lion King. Just like real meerkats, Timone often likes to stand on his hind legs. Although Timone is friends with a warthog, meerkats in real life are very sociable and like to live with their families in large communities, called mobs or gangs, which consist of about 30 other meerkats.
How To Draw A Meerkat – Step-by-Step Tutorial