The mob of meerkats emerged from their burrow Friday morning and
predicted six more weeks of winter.

Instead of looking for their shadows, the meerkats made their forecast
by selecting between a pile of sand and a pile of snow.

“At first they appeared to be evenly divided between the sand pile and
the snow pile,” said Houston Zoo animal trainer Brett Posey. 

But their interest in the sand pile was brief and they quickly
concentrated on the mount of snow. 

Slideshow: Meerkats at Houston Zoo

“It’s clear to everyone who was observing that the “mob” has spoken and
they’re calling for six more weeks of winter,” said Posey.

The meerkats are highly sociable members of the mongoose family.

They inhabit the drier regions of South Africa, Namibia, southern
Botswana, and Angola where they live in family groups called mobs. 

Over the years, several Houston Zoo animals have tried their hand at
weather prediction - Masai giraffes, spectacled bears, and Guinea hogs. 

Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient believe that hibernating
creatures were able to predict the arrival of springtime by their
emergence. 

German immigrants brought the tradition to America in the 18^th
century.

Raw video: Meerkats at Houston Zoo