Carnivores
Mammaculture
Pensacola Jr College
Classification
w Order Carnivora
• Family Felidae (cats)
• Family Canidae (dogs)
• Family Hyaenidae (hyenas and
aardwolves)
• Family Ursidae (bears)
• Family Ailuropodidae (giant
and red pandas)
Classification
(cont’d)
w Order Carnivora (cont’d)
• Family Procyonidae
(raccoons, coatis, ringtail cats, kinkajous)
• Family Mustelidae (weasels,
ferrets, skunks, otters, badgers, wolverines)
• Family Viverridae (civets,
genets, mongoose, meerkats, binturongs)
Order Carnivora
w Range: worldwide except
Antarctica
w Occur on land masses,
coastal zones, and freshwater
w May or may not actually be
carnivorous!
Order Carnivora
(cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• Canine teeth large and
conical
• 3 upper & 3 lower
incisors (except sea otter)
• Sectorial molars, usually
have carnassials
• Feet plantigrade or
digitigrade
• large sharp curved claws
• simple stomach / GI tract
• baculum present in males
Family Felidae
Felidae
w Range: worldwide on land
masses except Antarctica, Australia, Madagascar, and most islands
w Strict carnivores (except
flat headed cat of SE Asia)
w Solitary except lions
w Felis vs. Pathera
Felidae (cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• shortened rostrum
• large eyes / tapetum lucidum
• specialized carnassials
• digitigrade, retractile
claws
• colored for camouflage
w Have 1-6 cubs, gest 70 days
in small cats / 100 in big cats
w SSPs/ habitat loss, fur
trade
Asian lion
Siberian tiger
Leopard
Jaguar
Snow leopard
Cheetah
Clouded leopard
Mountain lion /
puma / cougar
Lynx
Margay
Jaguarundi
Caracal
Serval
African sand cat
Family Canidae
Canidae
w Range: worldwide on land
masses except Antarctica, Madagascar, some islands
w Opportunistic omnivores
w Social; packs or family
group
w 2-16 pups, 63 day gestation
w SSPs, livestock conflicts
Canidae (cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• long rostrum, large nasal
chamber
• well-developed carnassials
• some crushing molars
• digitigrade
• non-retractile claws
• specialized for running
predation (eg. no clavicle)
Gray wolf
Dingo
Dhole
African wild dog
Coyote
Maned wolf
Black-backed
jackal
Raccoon dog
Fennec fox
Family Hyaenidae
Hyaenidae
w Range: Africa, SW Asia,
India
w Strict carnivores
w Nocturnal
w As size decreases, sociality
decreases
w 1-5 pups, 3 month gestation
w Not intensively managed
Hyaenidae (cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• elongated rostrum
• powerful jaws/teeth with
heavy crowns for bone-crushing
• well-developed carnassials
• digitigrade, no retractile
claws
• coat spotted or striped
• head and shoulders larger
than hindquarters, sloping back
Spotted hyena
Striped Hyena
Brown Hyena
Aardwolf
Family Ursidae
Ursidae
w Range: land masses in
Northern Hemisphere (including arctic ice) and northern S. America
w Opportunistic omnivores
w Solitary and diurnal
w Torpor/“winter sleep” - some
w 1-4 cubs, 3-9 m gestation
Ursidae (cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• large body, thick boned, big
head, elongated rostrum
• short limbs, very short tail
• plantigrade, 5-toed
• long curving non-retractile
claws
• wrinkled molar surfaces
w SSP / TAG / hunting
Polar bear
(Arctic)
Brown/Grizzly bear
(N.A.)
American black
bear (N.A.)
Asian black bear
(Asia)
Spectacled Bear
(S.A.)
Sloth Bear (India)
Sun Bear (SE Asia)
Family
Ailuropodidae
Ailuropodidae
w Range: SW China
w Physical characteristics:
• thick skull, wide crushing
molars, reduced premolars
• eye patches
• plantigrade
• broad paws, 5 toes, retractable
claws
• radial sesamoid bone=“thumb”
Ailuropodidae
(cont’d)
w Feed on bamboo (red pandas
wider diet)
w Partially or fully arboreal
w Solitary
w Very tiny altricial young:
• panda: 1 cub, 5 m gestation
• r. panda: 1-4 cubs, 3-5 m gest.
w
SSPs / habitat destruction
Red / Lesser panda
Giant panda
Panda - skull /
teeth
Panda’s “thumb”
Family Procyonidae
Procyonidae
w Range: N & S America
w Physical characteristics:
• elongated body and tail
• tail usually ringed or
prehensile
• 3-40 pounds
• no specialized carnassials
• plantigrade, 5 toes per foot
• claws non- or semi-retractable
Procyonidae
(cont’d)
w Opportunistic omnivores
w Partially or fully arboreal
w Mostly nocturnal and
solitary (except coatimundis)
w 1-7 kits, approx. 70 day
gestation
w not intensively managed
Raccoon
Ringtail
Coatimundi
Kinkajou
Family Mustelidae
Mustelidae
w Range: worldwide on land
masses or coastal zones except Australia, Madagascar, polar regions
w Strict carnivores (ex.
skunk)
w Terrestrial (except otters)
w Solitary (except otters)
w 1-5 kits, wide gest. range
Mustelidae
(cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• smallest carnivora (to 2
oz.)
• Elongated body/tail, short
legs
• elongated skull, short
rostrum
• carnassials well-developed
• plantigrade or digitigrade
• 5 toes, non-retractile claws
• anal scent glands
Mustelidae
(cont’d)
w SSPs: Asian small-clawed
otter, black-footed ferret
w Sea otter issues -
conservation in the wild
w Wolverine issues- habitat
destruction but poor captive success
Giant Otter
Sea Otter
Least Weasel
American mink
Polecat
Pine marten
Zorilla
Spotted Skunk
Tayra
Ratel / honey
badger
American badger
Wolverine
Family Viverridae
Viverridae
w
Range: Eurasia, Africa, Madagascar
w mostly strict carnivores,
including insects
w usually terrestrial
w Often live in large highly
organized social groups
w 2-4 kits, 65 day gestation
Viverridae
(cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• small size, elongated bodies
and tails, short limbs
• elongated skull and rostrum
• well-developed carnassials
• plantigrade or digitigrade
• 5 toes (one reduced),
semi-retractable claws
• anal scent glands
• usually banded or spotted
Dwarf mongoose
Genet
African Civet
Meerkats
Binturong