Rationale
The Suricate is listed as Least Concern as it is relatively widespread in the assessment region, is present in several protected areas (notably in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park), and there are currently no major threats to the species. It occurs in habitats and regions that are largely intact and unlikely to be extensively transformed. Climate change may adversely affect this species if rainfall in semi-arid areas becomes more unpredictable and the annual average is reduced. The predicted extension of the current semi-arid region of southern Africa in an easterly direction may result in an easterly shift of its current distribution.Regional population effects: The speciesâ range is assumed to be continuous within southern Africa and hence it is likely that there is dispersal across regions. However, there is a lack of research on the actual range and whether there are breaks in the distribution that may result from unsuitable edaphic factors, mountains or large perennial rivers (e.g. the Orange River) and/or the absence of other species that may be important for creating suitable microhabitats â for example Cape Ground Squirrels (Xerus inauris), whose burrows Suricates use as sleeping and denning sites.