Classification and Orders

Didelphimorphia

Opossums

Eulipotyphla

Shrews

Cingulata

Armadillo

Lagomorpha

Rabbits

Common name- Tips

Must be capitalized

Genus- Tips

Must be capitalized

Species- Tips

Not capitalized

Family always ends with these four letters

idae

Dichotomous key

Helps identify animals order and so on

Common name- NA Opossum

Virginia Opossum

Family: Virginia Opossum

Didelphidae

Genus: Virginia Opossum

Didelphis

Species: Virginia Opossum

virginiana

Opossum identification

Prominent sagittal crest

Most teeth of any terrestrial mammal in NA

Large canines

Eulipotyphla Family- Shrew

Soricidae

Common Name of Blarina carolinensis

Southern Short-tailed Shrew

Scientific Name of Southern Short-tailed Shrew

Blarina carolinensis

Common name of Cryptotis parva

Least Shrew

Scientific Name of Least Shrew

Cryptotis parva

Common name of Sorex longirostris

Southeastern Shrew

Scientific Name of Southeastern Shrew

Sorex longirostris

Southern Short tailed Shrew

Large body and a short tail

Least Shrew

Small body and short tail

Southeastern Shrew

Small body and large tail

Shrew, Mice, voles, and Bats

Identify the order by skull

Shrew Skull tips

Heterodont

Insectivores

Red staining on teeth from iron in diet and soil

No connected zygomatic arch

Eulipotyphla Family: Talpidae

Moles

Mole tips

Lost of pointy teeth- heterodont

Long snout

Slim Zygomatic Arch

Common name of NA Armadillo

Nine-banded Armadillo

Family: Nine-banded Armadillo

Dasypodidae

Genus: Nine-banded Armadillo

Dasypus

Species: Nine-banded Armadillo

novemcinctus

Armadillo Tips

Hard structure not part of the skeleton produced by the skin and calcified

Always nine bands which allow them to curl into a ball

Homodont dentition- only one

Lagomorpha Family

Leporidae (rabbits)

Common name of Sylvilagus flordanus

Eastern Cottontail

Scientific name of Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus flordanus

Common name of Sylvilagus aquaticus

Swamp Rabbit

Scientific name of Swamp Rabbit

Sylvilagus aquaticus

Rabbit tips- Pelt

Swamp rabbits are much larger and rusty red color

Rabbit tips- skull

Behind the eye, postorbital process, Eastern cottontail there is a lobe while in swamp rabbits it is sealed.

Second row of incisors, peg teeth, to tell from rodents

Rostrum open network of bone called fenestration.

Order Carnivora

Carnivores

Family Canidae

Canines

Vulpes vulpes

Red Fox

Red Fox Skull Tips

Temporal Ridge is a V

Red Fox Skin Tips

Tip of Tail is white

More red

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Gray Fox

Gray Fox Skull Tips

Temporal Ridge is a U

Extra notch on the bottom of dentary that looks like a process

Gray Fox Skin Tips

Tip of tail is black

Canis latrans

Coyote

Coyote Skull Tips

Slope on the face is much flatter and brows are not as prominent as dogs.

Coyote Skin Tips

Brown and Fluffy

Tail is kept down while running

Canis familiaris

Domestic and Feral Dog

Dog Skull Tips

Face is concave and frontal bone (brows) is thick and prominent

Family Ursidae

Bears

Ursus americanus

American Black Bear

American Black Bear Skull Tips

Large with long snout

Don't necessarily have different morals and premolars

American Black Bear Skin Tips

Fully black or with a white chest blaze

Can present as brown

Spirit bears are white

Family Procyonidae

Racoons

Procyon lotor

Northern Raccoon

Northern Raccoon Skull Tips

Shorter rostrum thats 1/3rd of skull length

Don't necessarily have different morals and premolars

Northern Raccoon Skin Tips

It's a raccoon

Family Mustelidae

Otters, Weaslas, and Minks

Family Mustelidae Tips

Short rostrum

Flat skull

Body and shape is long and tubular for nooks and crannies

Lontra canadensis

Northern River Otter

Northern River Otter Skull Tips

Much larger than other mustelidae

Northern River Otter Skin Tips

Solid brown with golden muzzle

Mustela frenata

Long-tailed Weasel

Long-tailed Weasel Skull Tips

Smallest skull (similar to skunk)

Shape of last molar is dumbbell shape, wider than long

Long-tailed Weasel Skin Tips

Countershading, Brown dorsally and cream/yellow on belly side.

Neovison vison

American Mink

American Mink Skull Tips

Last premolar is wider than long and pinched in the middle

Similar to skunk skull

Skull is larger than Long-tailed Weasel but smaller than Northern River Otter

Family Mephitidae

Skunks

Mephitis mephitis

Striped Skunk

Striped Skunk Skull Tips

Square last molar

Striped Skunk Skin Tips

Can have just a white head, stripes don't always go down to tail

Spilogale putorius

Eastern Spotted Skunk

Eastern Spotted Skunk Skull Tips

Rectangle shaped last molar

Eastern Spotted Skunk Skin Tips

Smaller

Curly Coat Pattern

Family Felidae

Felines

Lynx rufus

Bobcat

Bobcat Skull Tips

Number of premolars and molars (cheek teeth) is three

Bobcat Skin Tips

White spot on ear

Spotted

Felis catus

Feral Cat

Feral Cat Skull Tips

Number of molars and premolars (cheek teeth) is four

Puma concolor

Puma

Puma Skull Tips

Largest cat skull

Order Perissodactyla

odd-toed ungulates

Family Equidae

Equine

Equus caballus

Horse

Horse Skull Tips

Upper incisors

Dentarys are flat

Order Artiodactyla

Even-toed ungulates

Family Suidae

Pigs

Sus scrofa

Feral Pig

Feral Pig Skull Tips

Very Long rostrum

Wedge shaped

Tusks flare out

Family Cervidae

Deer and Elk

Odocoileus virginianus

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer Skull Tips

Smaller than elk

Open network in nose

No upper incisors

Cervus canadensis

North American Elk

North American Elk Skull Tips

Open network in nose

Huge skull and antlers

Family Bovidae

Cows, Sheep, Goats, and Bison