Mongoose is one of the smallest mongooses, weighing only about 1 lb. It lives in arid grasslands and semi-desert lowlands in southern Africa. When adult meerkats are foraging among wolves, young meerkats spend most of their time playing and wrestling with their partners. When an adult finds a beetle, digs out a millipede, or grabs an egg, the cubs forget to play and beg for food with a high chirp like young birds. The cubs of most species live with their families all their lives. These cubs will be raised by the whole group, and when members of these groups leave the nest to eat, several "nannies" will stay to take care of this large group of cubs. Some mongooses are solitary animals, and males and females mate only once a year. In these species, males can stay and help raise 2 to 6 cubs, or females can raise cubs alone.