meerkat and scorpion | pen & ink

This artwork captures a classic scene of life in the Kalahari: a meerkat foraging and a scorpion preparing to defend itself. Meerkats are expert hunters of insects, arachnids, and small reptiles, and their foraging technique is a blend of speed, precision, and teamwork. They dig rapidly with their long, sharp claws, using their sensitive noses to detect prey hidden beneath the sand. Each meerkat forages close to the group, constantly glancing up for danger while continuing to probe the ground for movement. Scorpions, in turn, rely on their armour and venom to deter predators. When threatened, they raise their pincers and curl their stinger overhead — a clear warning posture. But against a meerkat, this defence has limits. Meerkats have evolved remarkable resistance to certain venoms, including those of scorpions. They aren’t fully immune, but they can tolerate doses that would be dangerous to many other animals. Skilled adults even teach youngsters how to handle scorpions safely — disabling the stinger before eating.