Skip to content
A cartoon meerkat stands on a mound while five other meerkats peek out of holes in a desert with cacti and a cloud.

Imagine traveling to the sunny African savanna to meet a playful group of meerkats. This scene captures a busy moment in their day as they explore their desert home together. You can see one brave sentry standing tall on a mound, keeping a watchful eye over the territory. Meanwhile, five other curious meerkats are popping their heads out from holes in the ground to see what is happening in the world above.

It is a lively and charming scene that shows how these social animals live and play in the wild. The cartoon style makes every character look friendly and full of personality. This is a wonderful way to explore nature and animals while playing with your favorite colors.

Color Palette Ideas

Desert Sands
Sunny Savanna

What's In This Picture

In the center of the page, a standing meerkat balances perfectly on a small mound of dirt, acting as the look-out for the family. Around the base of this hill, five other meerkats peek out from their underground burrows with curiosity. Each little face has a different expression, ranging from wide-eyed wonder to a sneaky little grin.

The background features several prickly cacti that add texture and life to the landscape. High above, a single fluffy cloud floats in the sky, completing the quiet desert atmosphere. You will also find various dirt mounds and tunnel entrances scattered across the ground, showing just how busy these animals have been digging their home. Every element is drawn with clear lines, making it easy to see where one burrow ends and the next begins.

Coloring Tips

For the meerkats, you might want to use warm shades like sandy beige, golden tan, or a soft cinnamon brown. You can add darker spots around their eyes and tips of their tails to make them look extra realistic. The cacti look wonderful in various shades of green, ranging from bright lime to a deep forest green. Try using a light touch for the needles to keep the cartoon look clean.

For the desert ground, try layering different browns and yellows to create a dusty, sun-baked appearance. You can use darker browns inside the holes to show depth. If you want to make the sky pop, use a very light blue around the cloud, leaving the cloud itself white or giving it a hint of soft grey for a bit of shadow. Using different pressure on your pencils can help create the look of soft sand and hard rocks.

Did You Know?

Meerkats are famous for their standing posture, which they use to scan the horizon for birds of prey or other animals. They actually have built-in sunglasses! The dark patches around their eyes help reduce the sun's glare, allowing them to see long distances even on the brightest desert days. This makes them some of the best guards in the animal kingdom.

Try This!

After you finish coloring, you can count all the meerkats to see if you found all six of them hidden in the scene. Maybe you can give each one a funny name based on their facial expression. You could also draw some small insects or a bright yellow sun in the background to show more of what life is like in the desert for these busy little friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors should I use for the meerkats?
Most meerkats are a mix of tan, beige, and light brown. They often have darker brown or black fur around their eyes and on the tips of their tails.
How many meerkats are hidden in this picture?
There are six meerkats in total! One is standing up tall on a mound, and five others are peeking their heads out from the holes.
Is this coloring page difficult?
It is moderately easy. The meerkats have simple shapes, but coloring the different holes and cacti allows for more detail if you want to spend extra time on it.
For best results, print on standard letter size (8.5" x 11") paper using your printer's "Fit to Page" setting.
animals burrow cactus cartoon desert meerkat nature safari

Popular Collections

You Might Also Like

Explore More Categories

Share this page