Carnivora I. Overview A. three Suborders, 11 families 1. Feliformia - cat like

a. cats, hyenas, mongooses, Civets and genets

2. Caniformia - doglike

a. Bears, eared seals and walruses

b. dogs, mustelids (skunks, weasels), procyonids (raccoons, coatis),

 B. Morphology 1. Carnassial molar (UP4 or LM1) FIGURE

2. Elongated canines

3. Strong facial musculature - for biting and chewing

4. Mandibular Fossa FIGURE

a. C shaped articulation with jaw

b. Minimizes lateral movement while gripping prey

c. Flatter in more omnivorous species (e.g. bears or raccoons)

 5. Baculum in most

6. Well developed claws

a. some retractile (cats and civets)

7. Great size range

least weasel (70 g to 800 kg in Grizzlies or polar bears)

often sexual dimorphism

 8. Simple stomachs for digesting meat C.

Life History

1. Variation in Diet a. Not all meat eaters

b. Insectivorous

c. Piscivorous

d. Frugivorous

e. Omnivorous

 2. Hunting a. Stealth and Ambush - leopards are masters - camoflage

- bears when fishing

- Lions - low roar to stampede

- Some aquatic or semi-aquatic carnivores

 b. Stalk and chase - Cheetahs are masters - camoflage

- Many cats use a lot

- Favored by smaller carnivores

 c. Cooperative hunting - African wild dogs - the best

- Wolves and a few other canids

- Lions and hyaenas not as good

 d. Swim and catch - Pinnipeds

e. Take over

- Lions are King

- Hyaenas if no lions or small #s of other species

 3. Sociality - benefits a. hunting, food gathering

b. infant care

c. interspecies protection - #s can beat size

- Hyaenas brave when small #s of smaller species

 4. Found everywhere except Australia D.

Fossil History

1. Creodonts were Carnivore ancestors a. weasel-like is size and form

b. late Cretaceous to early Miocene

c. generally more robust, less agile

d. out competed by modern agile carnivores

 2. Miacoid Families a. split into two groups - Viverridae

- Miacidae

 b. first recognizable carnasials at UP4 and LM1

c. Early Eocene (50 mya)

d. Led to modern families

 3. Modern Families a. Recognizable in Oligocene (35 mya)

b. Adaptive radiation

 II.

Feliformia

 A. Viverridae - Civets and genets

1. 20 genera, 34 spp

2. Old world

3. Quite diverse group

4. Morphology

a. smaller carnivores, short legs (primitive morphotype)

b. limbs five-toed and highly flexed like creodont ancestors

c. retractile claws

d. Dental adaptations are diverse

e. perianal glands - produce fluid known as civet, used in scent marking 5. Diet - carnivores, omnivores, frugivores, and scavengers

6. Life History

a. not a lot known about most

b. nocturnal and diurnal

c. terrestrial, semi-arboreal, and semi-aquatic

7. Numerous endangered spp and likely undiscovered spp

 B. Herpestidae - mongooses

1. Until recently - part of Viverridae

a. different auditory bulla and anal sac morphology

2. 18 genera, 37 spp

3. Old World, but not in Europe

4. Also small - 0.3 kg (dwarf mongoose) to 5 kg (white-tailed mon)

5. Generalized dentition for a generalized diet

6. Some spp are solitary - white-tailed

7. Some spp highly social

 a. banded mongoose - Live in packs (family groups) in termite mounds

- Hormonal supression of subordinate females by dominant Fem

 b. meerkats - groups of 10-15, 2-3 family units/group C. Felidae - Cats · 18 genera, 36 spp

· worldwide except Australia

· Morphology - killing machines

 a. shortened rostrum

- increases bite force at canines

b. Very Well developed Carnassials

- exclusively meat eating

c. Other cheekteeth blade-like

d. Very large Canines - lethal bite

- often kill prey by suffocation

- or kill by neck bite to pierce spinal cord

 e. often loss of reduction in other teeth

f. Saber-teeth

- extremely developed canines evolved/extinct numerous times

- Scimitar-toothed · canines were shorter and conical

· Large, long legged, pursuit predators,

· larger brains

 - Dirk-toothed cats · very long, curved canines

· shorter legged, smaller brained, powerful forelimbs

· ambush predators

· tooth breakage a big issue

· likely, effective throat bite

 g. Retractile claws - keep sharp when not in use

- add injection force to swipe or grab - like in Karate

 h. Posterior directed Papillae

- help hold prey in mouth

i. Digitigrade

- run down prey

j.

Flexible cartilage replaces hyoid bone at base of tongue

- allows for roaring - used to confuse prey

- allows for purring

 k. Diet - mammals and birds

- fishing cat - fish, frogs, mollusks

 l. Hunting - primarily stalk and chase or ambush

m. Mostly nocturnal

- cheetahs diurnal - just too darn fast to care n. Generally solitary or form pairs

- lions form prides of related females - Marianne?

o. 17 spp are endangered

 D. Hyaenidae - they are not dogs 1. 4 genera and 4 spp a. incluudes aardwolf (sometimes considered separate family)

b. 3 hyaenas - spotted, striped, brown

 2. Africa, India, Middle East

3. Grassy plains and bushy habitats

4. Morphology

a. large - 80 kg for spotted

b. Well developed Canines

p. Can Kill large prey

q. Before 80s thought to mostly scavenge

c. Very well developed UP3 and LP2 FIGURE

r. Do scavenge a lot

s. Crunch bone with large premolars

d. Digitigrade with non-retractile claws

e. Shorter hindlimbs give sloping profile

f. Lack a baculum

 5. Diet a. Hunting - stalk and chase, weak pursuit or cooperative

b. take over, scavenging

- can eat parts of carcass not accessible to cats, canids, or vultures

c. aardwolf is myrmecophagus

- weakly developed dentition

 6. Life History a. Female heirarchy - Females offspring ascend to royal line

- Females larger than males

b. Reproduction - Female genitalia looks like male

- Birth is painful

- Have twins - fight to death - winner emerges

c. Vocalizations - laughing

d. Brown and aardwolf threatened or endangered

 E. Malagasy Carnivores

1. Viverrids and Herpestids only

2. 5 mongooses

a. mongoose-like - nocturnal carnivores - Herpestid

b. impacts insectivore populations

3. 1 Malagasy civet (Fossa fossa) -Viverid

4. Falanouc (Eupleres goudotii) - Viverid???

a. once considered an insectivore - nearly homodont conical teeth

b. eats lots of earthworms and other invertebrates

5. Fossa or Foosh (Cryptoprocta ferox) - Viverid??? a. has been placed in the Felidae

b. Largest carnivore in madagascar - up to 12 kg

c. scent glands in anal region like Viverrids

d. cat-like in appearance with retractile claws

e. plantigrade locomotion similar to bears

f. great climbers

g. great impact on lemurs etc.

 

 III. Caniformia -

A. Canidae - wolves, foxes, dogs, jackals, etc.

1. 13 genera, 33 spp

2. Worldwide except Australia

a. Dingo introduced to Australia about 3000-4000 yrs ago

3. Morphology

a. highly cursorially adapted

- generally long legs relative to body length

- digitigrade - non-retractile claws

b. size range - 1 kg to 80 kg

c. elongated rostrum

4. Diet

    1. meat, some meat only
    2. fruit, carrion often found for others
    3. bat-eared fox and maned wolf eat termites/insects
5. Hunting

a. stalk and pounce - smaller canids

b. pursuit predators - long pursuit

c. cooperative hunters - all highly carnivorous or hypercarnivorous

- wild dogs, bush dogs, dholes, wolves

- best carnassials among canids

- larger prey

6. Solitary to highly social - even in same species (e.g. wolves)

7. Endangered spp - wild dogs, ethiopian wolves, red wolves

    1. extinct Falkland Island wolf
    2. Dire Wolf
B. Procyonidae

1. 6 genera, 18 spp - taxonomy almost certainly incorrect

2. New world only

3. temperate forests and tropics

4. smaller sizes

a. ringtail - 1 kg

b. 18 kg raccoons

5. plantigrade - low to the ground

6. adept climbers

a. prehensile tail in arboreal kinkajous

7. Generalized dentition for generalized diet - omnivores

    1. carnassials not well developed
8. examples are ringtails, raccoons, coatis, kikajous

9. Solitary to social (Coatis in groups of 20)

C. Mustelidae - weasels, skunks, badgers, otters, wolverine

1. 25 genera, 65 spp

2. not in Australia or oceanic islands

3. hypercarnivorous -

a. well developed carnassial

b. C shaped mandibular fossa

4. Habitats

a. terrestrial - weasels, skunks, badgers, wolverines

b. semi-arboreal - polecat, zorilla

c. fresh water - otters

d. salt water - sea otters

5. Morphology

a. long bodies with short legs

b. digitigrade - nonretractile claws

c. smaller sizes

- least weasel 30 g to Wolverine 55 kg

d. enlarged anal scent glands

- secrete musk

- some extremely powerful scent

- skunk, polecat, zorilla - "warning coloration"

D. Ursidae - bears

1. 6 genera, 19 spp

2. N. America, Eurasia, Andes, and N. Africa

3. Taxonomy

    1. any bears - black, Grizzly, Polar
    2. Panda or Bamboo bear - previously controversial
    3. Red panda - some put in Procyonids
- currently either sister group to bears or primitive bear

4. Generally larger

    1. Red Panda 5 kg
    2. 800 kg - Grizzlies or Polar bears
    3. Sexual dimorphism - males larger
5. Morphology
    1. plantigrade with non-retractile claws
    2. small ears
    3. short tails
6. Omnivores
    1. carnassial not well developed
    2. molars are unspecialized, relatively broad and flat
c. abandon cursoriality in favor of power
    1. Sloth bear is myrmecophagus like aardwolf
    2. Polar bears - much more fish and seals
    3. Panda eats mostly bamboo
  1. Canines large
  2. Winter Lethargy in Northern Areas
    1. body temp, heart rate, etc. shallow reduction
    2. use tree hollows, caves, or burrows
  1. Usually have twins
 

IV. Aquatic Caniformia -Previously Pinnipedia - feather-footed

A. Overview 1. Taxonomy - Three families of pinnipeds

a. Odobenidae (Walrus) and Otarids (Fur seals and sea lions)

- thought to be derived from Ursids

- enlarged cervical and thoracic vertebrae-forelimb propulsion

- hindfeet come forward when on land

b. Phocids (true seals)

 c. grouped on basis of aquatic lifestyle - Morphologically similar d. Phocids not closely related to Otarids and Odobenids

3. Differ from Cetaceans and Dungongs and manatees

 a. must haul out to breed, give birth, and rest 4. Morphology a. Fusiform shape - genitalia concealed in sheathes

b. Blubber - little hair

c. Rete mirable - counter current exchange

d. Short limbs modified into paddles

e. Eyes large and modified to focus under water

- incrased cornea curvature

- near-sighted on land

- well developed tapetum lucidum for lower light conditions

 f. Good under water hearing 5. Diet a. generalized leaning to piscivory or mollusks

b. crabeater seal - cheekteeth form sieve to filter krill from water

 6. Diving - similar to whales - only sperm whales better a. Bradycardia - slow heart rate

b. shunt blood to heart and brain

c. increased O2 binding of hemoglobin and myoglobin

d. larger sizes - thermal inertia

 7. Conservation a. Subsistance hunting for thousands of years

b. 19th century - commercial hunting for fur and oil

c. some spp still hunted, but most secure and protected

d. Some coming back strong -

 - elephant seals - lack genetic diversity B. Otaridae - fur seals and sea lions - eared seals

1. 7 genera, 14 spp

2. subpolar coastal waters

3. only inhabit marine communities - no fresh water

4. Two subfamilies

a. Otarinae - seal lions

- blunt noses

- little under fur

b. Acrtocephalinae - fur seals

- pointed noses

- extensive underfur

5. External pinnae

6. Better adapted to land - Hind flippers brought forward

7. mainly hind limb propulsion

8. highly dimorphic - males larger

a. e.g. northern fur seal males 5X larger than females

9. Diet - Fish, crustaceans, mollusks

10. Gregarious - colonies up to a mllion

11. Haul out sites are in isolated areas - inaccessible to predators

12. Polygynous males defend territories with 3 to 40 females

C. Odobenidae - Walrus

1. just the walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)

2. Circumpolar distribution in Arctic

a. Rocky shorelines and ice flows

3. Large - 1000 to 1600 kg for adult males

a. females smaller

4. Thick skin with blubber layer up to 15 cm thick

5. many features shared with Otarids

a. Hindlimbs rotate forward

b. naked ventral surfaces on flippers

c. forelimb propulsion

6. Tusks - upper canines - no enamel - ever growing

a. defense and combat for dominance heirarchies

b. breaking ice

c. raking bottom for moolusks

7. Gregarious - colonies of 100 to 1000

8. polygynous

9. stable populations

10. suspicions of echolocation abilities

D. Phocidae - true seals

1. 10 genera, 19 spp

2. polar, subpolar, ad temperate waters

a. monk seals inhabit tropical waters

b. occur in some fresh water lakes and estuaries

3. flippers furred on all surfaces

4. no ears

5. Size range from 35 kg (baikal seal) to 3700 kg male elephant seal

6. Diet

a. Fish and cephalopods

b. Leapord seal eats penguins and other seals

c. crad-eater seals eat krill

7. not as gregarious as Otarids - breeding groups small