Lab 7 - Carnivores

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Lab 7 - Carnivores

• Things with Big Teeth

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Order Carnivora

• Family Canidae
• Family Felidae
• Family Mephitidae
• Family Mustelidae
• Family Otariidae
• Family Procyonidae
• Family Ursidae

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Family Canidae

• Canis
• Urocyon
• Vulpes

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Canis latrans

• Coyote
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 4/4 2/3 42
• Habitat grasslands, brush, and farmlands across
  North America from Alaska to Nicaragua
• Food variety of small birds and mammals, some
  fruits and berries consumed
• Reproduction Mate in late winter, gestate 58-63
  days, and have 5-10 pups per litter. Males help
  raise pups.
• Trivia coydogs are coyote/dog hybrids. Used to
  be more common when coyotes were rare, but as
  their numbers increased, the need to breed with
  dogs declined.

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Canis lupus

• Grey Wolf
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 4/4 2/3 42
• Habitat broken, open country historically
  throughout much of western North America
• Food large herbivores, will take mice, squirrels
  and rabbits during lean times
• Reproduction Mate for life. Breed in Dec-Feb,
  gestate 63 days, and have 4-46 pups per litter.
  Males help raise pups.
• Trivia Attempts are being made to re-introduce
  this animal across its range, but it tends to
  face local resistance.

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Canis familiaris

• Domestic or Feral Dog
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 4/4 2/3 42
• Habitat Cosmopolitan with humans, found in
  homes, dumps, abandoned structures, o heavy
  vegetation
• Food Mice, rabbits, carrion, other vertebrates,
  some vegetation, and trash
• Reproduction Can breed twice a year, once in
  early spring and fall. Heat last 12 day,
  producing 3-10 pups per litter after 63 day
  gestation.
• Trivia Feral dogs can form packs and be
  territorial. There are about 1 million dog
  attacks each year in the US, with about 18 of
  these resulting in death.

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Urocyon cinereoargenteus

• Grey fox
• Dental formula 3/3/ 1/1/ 4/4 2/3 42
• Habitat Woodlands from the Canadian border south
  to northern South America
• Food Cottontail rabbits, mice and voles, with
  birds, small mammals, fruit, corn, and grass in
  smaller amounts. Grasshoppers and crickets become
  important in late summer
• Reproduction den in hollow trees and logs, mate
  from January to April, gestate 53-63 days, and
  have one litter of 1-7 pups in March to May.
  Males help raise pups, but do not den with them.
• Trivia Only North American canid that is a good
  climber, using trees to forage, cache food, or
  hide. Also, less vocal than red foxes.

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Vulpes velox

• Kit fox
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1/ 4/4 2/3 42
• Habitat live in open desert and grasslands
• Food small mammals, insects, birds, herps, and
  fish
• Reproduction Monogamous per season Breed in
  Oct-Feb, gestate 60 days, and have 3-6 pups per
  litter.
• Trivia Less afraid of humans and not as cunning,
  these foxes tend to be trapped more easily that
  their counterparts.

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Vulpes vulpes

• Red fox
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1/ 4/4 2/3 42
• Habitat diverse habitats across North America
  except for the far southwest Rocky Mountains,
  and eastern Virginia
• Food omnivorous, taking small vertebrates and
  caching extra
• Reproduction mate in late winter, female dens
  after gestating 51 days to have a litter of 4-10
  young in March or April.
• Trivia Foxes act more like cats than canids by
  listening, stalking and rushing their prey as
  opposed to chasing it down in the open.

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Key to Canids

• Skin
• C. fam body varied but not as other canids
• C. lup tan/gray body, largest of local canids
• C. lat tan body, tail less than ½ head and body
  length
• V. vel large ears, body mixed gray/black/red.
  Tail black tipped.
• V. vul body and tail reddish yellow w/ white
  tip, legs and feet blackish
• U. cin body mixed gray/black w/ reddish brown
  sides. Legs and feet reddish brown

• Skull
• C. fam rostrum short, shorter crest than C.
  lat.
• C. lup - prominent crest formed by paired midline
  ridges that come together, broad rostrum,
  post-orbital constriction narrow
• C. lat prominent crest formed by paired midline
  ridges that come together, rostrum narrow,
  post-orbital constriction broad
• V. vel upper surface of skull with weak ridges
  in a Y shape
• V. vul upper surface of skull with weak ridges
  or crest, V shaped
• U. cin paired ridges up to 3 mm high, start
  behind eyes and form U shape behind but never
  actually touch

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Family Ursidae

• Ursus americanus Black bear
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 4/4 2/3 42
• Habitat Secluded forested areas in Canada,
  around the Great Lakes, and extending down the
  major mountain chains
• Food Omnivorous, taking small mammals, insects,
  fruits, nuts, vegetation, and fish
• Reproduction Gestate seven months, having 1-3
  cubs in late January or February. Have litters
  every other year
• Trivia Bears do not hibernate, as they have
  young during this period. Instead, they put on
  heavy fat and become inactive for the colder
  months. Bears are great dispersers, capable over
  moving over many miles in a night at 30 mph.

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Family Procyonidae

• Bassariscus
• Nasua
• Procyon

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Bassariscus astutus

• Ringtail
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 4/4/ 2/2 40
• Habitat trees, rock areas, and cliffs throughout
  the SW US and Mexico
• Food Small mammals, fruits, birds, and insects.
• Reproduction Bred in Mar-Apr, having 2-4 young
  after 60 gestation.
• Trivia Loud vocal barking calls. They also have
  been heavily hunted on the Edwards Plateau for
  their fur.

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Procyon lotor

• Common Raccoon
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 4/4/ 2/2 40
• Habitat Anyplace with woods and water throughout
  North America
• Food Omnivorous, taking plant and animal food,
  insects, grains, fruits, and worms.
• Reproduction den in hollow trees, gestate for 63
  days, and have litters of 3-7 young in April or
  May.
• Trivia Raccoons dont wash their food, they are
  in fact practicing their underwater food
  searching behavior. Sometimes communal dens,
  with 23 coons reported from one den.

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Key to Procyonids

• Skin
• B. ast Buff above and white below, with dark
  overhairs, long ringed tail
• P. lot gray above with short ringed tail

• Skull
• B. ast mastoid small, P4 has 3 tubercules,
  upper molars broader than long
• P. lot mastoid large, P4 has 5 tubercules,
  upper molars longer than broad

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Family Mustelidae

• Gulo
• Lontra
• Martes
• Mustela
• Taxidea

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Mustela frenata

• Long-tailed Weasel
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat forest or open country throughout much
  of North America
• Food mostly small rodents, but also squirrels,
  chipmunks, and rabbits
• Reproduction delayed implantation. Mate in
  summer, gestate 15 days, delay 8-9 months, and
  then gestate 250 days to have 4-8 young in April
  or May
• Trivia This species turns white in the northern
  range in winter. Like all mustelids, has musk
  glands capable of dropping an A-Bomb when
  disturbed.

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Mustela nigripes

• Black-footed ferret
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat prairie dog towns and grasslands
  throughout the Great Plains region.
• Food Mostly prairie dogs, but other small
  mammals, birds, and insects are eaten.
• Reproduction Mate in Apr-May with 4-5 young born
  after about 60 day gestation.
• Trivia Extirpated from Texas, and thought
  extinct, a colony was found in Meteetsee, WY in
  1984. Due to the efforts of an intensive captive
  breeding program, this species is being
  re-introduced in various parts of its former
  range.

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Mustela vison

• Mink
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat diverse wetland habitats throughout
  Canada and the Eastern United States
• Food Small birds and mammals, fish, frogs,
  aquatic insects. Muskrats are a favored prey
  item.
• Reproduction mate in winter or early Spring,
  have one litter of 1-10 after 42-44 gestation and
  delayed implantation of 9-46 days around
  April-May
• Trivia This animal, along with the beaver,
  helped to drive the frontier westward with
  trappers, getting around 35 a male pelt even as
  recently as 1987.

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Mustela putorius

• Ferret or polecat
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat similair to M. frenata
• Food small mammals and birds, some grains and
  meal
• Reproduction similar to M. frenata
• Trivia This vermint of the Old World is now
  known as the domestic ferret.

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Taxidea taxus

• Badger
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat Open prairie and flatlands from Canada
  to Mexico in the central half of the continent
• Food Ground squirrels are main food, but also
  eats other rodents, insects, birds, etc.
• Reproduction have 2-3 young in march-April,
  after mating in July-Aug and having delayed
  implantation until February.
• Trivia Prefer to hunt by collapsing all burrows
  but one of prey, and then dig trapped animal out.
  Has been know to work with coyotes (badger
  digging, coyote blocking the other openings), but
  they dont share the food. Badgers are very
  tough and resilient animals.

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Key to Mustelids

• Skin
• M. fren tail black tipped, gt ½ body length
• M. nig tail black tipped as well as feet, body
  light brown and belly white to cream, face masked
• M. put color variable, but generally with white
  face and black mask around eyes
• M. vis tail not black tipped and gt 25 mm, body
  dark brown with only one or a few white patches
  beneath
• T. tax body grey, brown face with single white
  stripe from nose to top of head and white cheeks.
  Strong claws and short bushy tail.

• Skull
• M. fren last molar dumbbell shaped, skull
  31-55mm length, postglenoid process gt 47 dist.
  from occipital condyles to tip of anterior
  incisor, auditory bulla larger than upper cheek
  teeth
• M. nig as M. fren, but postglenoid process lt
  47 dist. from occipital condyles to tip of
  anterior incisor
• M. put last molar dumbbell shaped, skull length
  62-68 mm, auditory bulla roughly upper cheek
  teeth
• M. vis last molar dumbbell shaped, skull gt
  50mm, auditory bulla nearly as long as upper
  cheek teeth
• T. tax upper molars triangular, braincase
  triangular

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Family Mephitidae

• Conepatus
• Mephitis
• Spilogale

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Conepatus leuconotus

• Hog-nosed skunk
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 2/3 1/2 32
• Habitat inhibit foot hills and partly timbered
  areas in the lower SW US S into Mexico
• Food Omnivorous, taking insects, mice, bids,
  fruit, and grain
• Reproduction Breed in Feb-Mar, gestate about 60
  days, and have 2-4 young..
• Trivia Hog-nosed skunks seem to be drastically
  declining throughout the Northern (ie. U.S.) part
  of their range.

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Mephitis macroura

• Hooded skunk
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat Found in streamside areas in the TP TX S
  into Mexico.
• Food Omnivorous, taking mainly insects, some
  small vertebrates, bids, fruit, and prickly pear
  fruit.
• Reproduction Typically have 2 litters of 3 young
  each.
• Trivia Rarest of the skunks in Texas. Have been
  rarely spotted in West TX in the past two decades.

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Mephitis mephitis

• Striped skunk
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat Agricultural and grassy areas throughout
  most of North America
• Food Omnivorous, taking insects, mice, bids,
  fruit, and grain
• Reproduction Have litters of 4-7 young in April
  after gestating 51 days.
• Trivia Best known for odor, being sprayed for
  defense and protection. Can spray up to 16 feet,
  but tends to threaten spray before turning and
  firing.

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Spilogale gracilis

• Western spotted skunk
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat rocky bluffs, cliffs, and canyon streams
  across western North America.
• Food Omnivorous, including turkey eggs, small
  mammals, and arthropods
• Reproduction Mate in Sept-Oct, delayed
  implantation (180-210 days), then gestate 30 days
  to have 2-5 young in Apr-May.
• Trivia This species was once thought o be the
  same as S. putorius, but was separated out on the
  basis of delayed implantation.

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Spilogale putorius

• Eastern spotted skunk
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/3 1/2 34
• Habitat weedy fields and woodlots throughout
  much of the Western United States and Central
  America, with a presence in the southeastern
  United States
• Food Omnivorous, taking more invertebrates than
  M. mephitis
• Reproduction Mate in March-April, gestate about
  50-65 days, and have 2-4 young in early spring
• Trivia More of a digger than M. mephitis, this
  animal will even raid weasel caches. As can be
  expected, unless food is scarce and they are very
  hungry, few animals will attack a skunk. Also,
  the spray of this animal has a sweeter smell than
  Mephitis sps.

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Key to Skunks

• Skin
• C. leu largest skunk, possessing a single broad
  white strip from head to tail
• M. mac black body with long white haired strip
  and bushy tuft behind head.
• M. meph black body with variable white stripe
  down head and back (sometimes isolated to head)
• S. grac Color similar to S. put., but white
  marking more extensive, black and white stripes
  on upper back equal in width, large triangular
  patch of white on forehead.
• S. put Back showing four or more broken stripes
  of spots of white on a black background, single
  white spot on forehead and single dot in front of
  each ear

• Skull
• C. leu only 2 upper premolars
• M. mac basically same as M. meph.
• M. meph hard palate reaches molar, skull
  angular in profile around eye, skull length gt 65
  mm
• S. grac same as S. put.
• S. put skull flat in profile, hard palate
  reached molar, skull length lt 65 mm

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Family Felidae

• Felis
• Lynx
• Panthera

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Felis catus

• Feral cat, House cat
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/2 1/1 30
• Habitat in or around human habitations, as well
  as grassy fields throughout the world
• Food Small rodents, birds, rabbits, insects,
  herps, and grass
• Reproduction Can produce 2 litters of 1-8 young
  per year, following a 62 day gestation.
• Trivia Although not normally included in mammals
  of discussions, the domestic cat deserves
  consideration from a management point of view due
  to their large numbers and devastating impact on
  small mammal and bird fauna of an area.
  Particularly a problem in areas that are not used
  to cats, like Austrailia and Hawaii.

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Lynx rufus

• Bobcat
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 2/2 1/1 28
• Habitat Swamps, wooded area, and mountainous
  area through areas in Canada, United States, and
  Mexico. Only big cat in Indiana
• Food Strict carnivore, eating small mammals and
  birds, focusing on cottontails in the north and
  cotton rats in the south
• Reproduction Mate in February-March, gestate 62
  days, and have 2-4 young in late Spring to early
  summer.
• Trivia A solitary animal, only coming together
  to mate. Great climbers and swimmers.

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Panthera concolor

• Mountain Lion
• Dental formula 3/3 1/1 3/2 1/1 30
• Habitat Rocky canyons, escarpments, and dense
  brush across most of North America south to
  Panama
• Food Large mammals (50-300Kg), such as deer,
  elk, pronghorn, etc. Also take carrion
• Reproduction Breed about every 2 to 3, gestate
  around 90-95 days, and have litters of 2-5 young.
  
• Trivia Solitary predators, theses big cats have
  been pushed to the edge of their habitat due to
  fragmentation and urbanization.

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Key to Felids

• Skin
• F. cat tail long to body
• L. ruf tail white below and black above, body
  reddish brown with black spotting
• P. con body tan, tail long with black fur tip

• Skull
• F. cat Skull 8-10 cm long with 4 upper cheek
  teeth
• L. ruf one formina in posterior corner of
  tympanic bulla due to confluent, 3 upper cheek
  teeth
• P. can Skull greater than 10 cm with 4 upper
  cheek teeth, pronounced canines.

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Family Otariidae

• The seals, sea lions, and walrus used to be in a
  separate order, Pinnipedia, for the eared seals,
  but this has been collapsed to a suborder of
  Carnivora.
• Arctocephalus
• Callorhinus
• Eumetopias
• Zalophus