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Family Canidae
Family Canidae • 13 Genera, 35 species • Digitigrade, nonretractable claws • Well-developed carnassials, crushing molars • Fossils date to Oligocene and Miocene Family Canidae Genus: Canis • Wolves, coyotes, jackals, domestic dogs • Size range: 7-40 kg • Territorial; communicate via scent marking and howling • ~10 year life span Family Canidae Genus: Vulpes • Smaller than Canis sp. (5-8 kg) • Omnivorous; cache food • 2-4 young/year • Lifespan ~5 years Family Canidae Genus: Urocyon • U-shaped temporal ridges • Males slightly larger than females • Can climb trees • Mostly solitary, but monogamous • 1-7 young/year Family Ursidae Genus: Ursus • 5 Genera, 8 species • Delayed implantation • Mostly omnivorous (except U. maritimus) • Occur everywhere but Antarctica and Australia • Black bears have alternate mechanism to conserve energy during hibernation Pinnipedia Families: Otariidae, Odobenidae and Phocidae Family Otariidae • Sea lions and fur seals • 7 Genera, 16 species • Occur along coastlines of Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans • Hind flippers can be rotated and used for terrestrial locomotion Genus: Zalophus Family Odobenidae Genus: Odobenus • 1 Genera, 1 species • Walrus • Occur along arctic shorelines of Atlantic and Pacific oceans • Upper canines form large tusks; lack enamel • Primarily eat mollusks Family Phocidae • 13 Genera, 19 species • Cannot rotate flippers; no external ear • Adapted for deep diving • Broadly distributed in polar and temperate waters Family Mustelidae • Badgers, otters, weasels • 23 Genera, 59 species • Mostly carnivorous • Variable mating and social systems • Occur in many habitat types Family Mustelidae Genus: Mustela • Solitary, delayed implantation • 3-4 young/year • Some are “Surplus killers” • Sexually dimorphic Family Mustelidae Genus: Neovison • American mink • Sexually dimorphic • Invasive species in Europe and S. America • Semi-aquatic • Populations may cycle with muskrat populations in northern latitudes Family Mustelidae Genus: Taxidea • American Badger • 5-12 kg • Solitary, polygynous, delayed implantation • 5-10 year lifespan • Compulsive diggers Family Mustelidae Genus: Lontra N. American river otter Large mustelid (5-14 kg) Mostly consumes fish Polygynous, with delayed implantation • Successfully reintroduced into Midwest, US • • • • Family Mustelidae Genus: Enhydra • Sea otter • Sea ice limits northern range, kelp forest limits their southern range • Largest mustelid (22-45 kg) • Fur density ~100,000 hairs/cm2 • Otter/Kelp/Urchin trophic interactions Family Mustelidae Genus: Gulo • Wolverine • 9-30 kg; Sexually dimorphic • Occur in boreal forests in northern hemisphere • Ferocious – will fight bears and wolves over food • Will take prey >5 times their size Family Mephitidae Skunks 4 Genera, 12 species N. and S. America Forages mostly on insects and rodents; primary predator of honey bees • Strong anal scent glands • • • • Genus: Spilogale Genus: Mephitis Family Procyonidae Raccoons 6 Genera, 15 species Occur in New World Plantigrade, nonretractable claws • Polygynous; 2-4 young/year • • • • Family Procyonidae Genus: Nasua Coatis Family Procyonidae Genus: Bassariscus Family Procyonidae Genus: Procyon Family Ailuridae • • • • • 1 Genus, 1 species Red panda Endemic to Himalayas Eats mostly bamboo 8-10 year lifespan