Suricata is a genus of mongoose that is endemic to Africa. The oldest species known is the extinct Suricata major that lived about 1.8 million years ago in South Africa. (2026). 9780520257214, University of California Press. ISBN 9780520257214 (2026). 9781108480888, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108480888 The only species alive is the meerkat ( Suricata suricatta).