What kind of animal is Timon?

Timon is a meerkat who was introduced in the 1994 Disney animated movie, "The Lion King." Real meerkats inhabit the grassy plains of South Africa, where they live in a system of burrows. Related to the mongoose, the average full-grown meerkat weights about 2 pounds.

In the movie "The Lion King," the voice of Timon is provided by Nathan Lane. Timon is in the constant companionship of his two best friends, a warthog named Pumbaa, and Simba, the lion who later becomes a king. Timon and Pumbaa had their own animated series on the Disney channel from 1995 to 1999, and were also the central characters in a prequel, "The Lion King 1½."