Mammals of the World 4

Family Soricidae

Shrews: 2 condyles on condyloid process of lower jaw, no zygomatic arch, no ossified auditory bullae, upper incisors hookes and large with cusp at base

Family Talpidae

Moles: highly modified manus for fossorial lifestyle, complete zygomatic arch, auditory bullae present, simple incisors

Family Pteropodidae

Flying fox, OW fruit bats: (does NOT echolocate) post-orbital process present, second digit of forelimb relatively free of third digit and usally clawed

Family Phyllostomidae

Leaf-nosed bats: (echolocates) leaf nose present, skull very diverse but always has a closed (unseparated) premaxilla

Family Molossidae

Free tailed bats: (echolocates) tail extends past uropatagium, skull can have either open (seperated) or closed (unseparated) premaxilla

Family Vespertilionidae

Common bat: (echolocates) has well developed tragus (ear thing) premaxilla is always open (seperated)

Family Manidae

Pangolin: overlapping keratin scales, edentate, no jugal or interparietal bone, palate does not extend past the pterygoids (compared to Myrmecophagidae)

Family Felidae

Cats: no alisphenoid canal (AC), relatively short rostrum, carnassials well developed, very few cheek teeth (3-4), tiny last upper molar

Family Herpestidae

Mongooses: AC present, complete postorbital bar, auditory bullae constricted horizontally (compared to Viverridae)

Family Hyaenidae

Hyaenas, aardwolves: no AC, very robust, 5 upper cheek teeth, 4 lower cheek teeth, aardwolves have small peglike cheek teeth for eating termites

Family Viverridae

Civets: AC present, no postorbital bar (compared to Herpestidae), and auditory bullae are constricted diagonally (compared to Herpestidae)

Family Canidae

Dogs, foxes, coyotes, wolves: AC present, AB not constricted, usually 6 or more cheek teeth, last upper molar well developed and transversely elongated (compared to feliforms)

Family Ursidae

Bears: AC present, bunodont cheek teeth, large last molar

Family Mephitidae

Skunks, stink badgers: no AC, last upper molar is square shaped, palate does not extend past tooth row (compared to Mustelidae)

Family Mustelidae

Weasels, ferrets, martens, minks, wolverines, otter, badgers: no AC, last upper molar is “dumbbell” (“8”) shaped, palate extends past the tooth row, mandibular fossa locks condyloid process of dentary (tight temporomandibular joint)

Family Procyonidae

Ringtails, racoons: no AC, carnassials poorly developed, generally 6 cheek teeth, bunodont cheek teeth in racoon, secodont teeth in ringtail

Family Odobenidae

Walrus: upper canines enormous and tusklike, no lower incisors, enormous mastoid process, AC present

Family Otariidae

Ear seals, sea lion: pinnae present, hind limbs capable of forward rotation, AC present, supraorbital process well developed, homodont cheek teeth with one large cusp

Family Phocidae

Earless seals, true seals: pinnae absent, hind limbs cannot rotate, no AC present, homodont cheek teeth with 3 longitudinal cusps

families in order Eulipotyphla

soricidae: shrews

talpidae: moles

families in order chiroptera

pteropodidae: flying foxes; old world fruit bats

phyllostomidae: new world leaf-nosed or fruit bats

molossidae: free-tailed bats

vespertilionidae: common bats

order/clade eulipotyphla recognition characteristics

1. very small to medium-sized

2. foot posture usually plantigrade (entire sole of foot flat on the ground)

3. snout generally elongate

4. pelage usually consisting of only one kind of hair of uniform length

5. cerebral hemispheres smooth, lacking complex folding

6. cheek teeth relatively simple, zalambdodont, dilambdodont, or quadritubercular, with sharp edges to cusps

family soricidae (shews) of order soricomorpha

no zygomatic arch; no ossified auditory bulla; 1st upper incisor large, hoked and with cusp at proximal base of tooth; upper molars tritubercula to quadritubercular with sharp cusps; crowns with W-shaped ectoloph

dental formula: 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3 = 40

family talpidae (moles) of order soricomorpha

zygomatic arch complete, slender; auditory bull present, incomplete; incisors simple, 1st uppper incisor directed downward and backward; upper molars tritubercular to quadritubercular with sharp cusps; crowns with W-shaped ectoloph

2-3/1-3, 1/0-1, 3-4/3-4, 3/3 = 34-44

order chiroptera recognition of characteristics

1. forelimb modified for flight, with digits elongate and joined together by a membrane extending to side of body and limbs

2. sternum usually keeled

3. glenoid fossa of scapula directed dorsally

4. knee directed posteriorly owing to rotation of hind limb for support of wing and tail membrane

family pteropodidae of order chiroptera

premaxillae with palatal and nasal branches, fused to each other and to maxillae; teeth highly modified for frugivorous diet; incisors small, styliform, somewhat flattened; canines always well developed; cheek teeth simple, crowns low, cusps indistinct, not obviously tuberculate

family phyllostomidae: desmodontinae (vampire bats) of order chiroptera

premaxillae with nasal and palatal branches, fused to each other and to maxillae; no postorbital process; check teeth variable, simple crushing type to tritubercular

family molossidae (free-tailed bats) of order chiroptera

family vespertilionidae (common bats) of order chiroptera

premaxillae separated, but fused to maxillae, only nasal branches present; no postorbital process; cheek teeth tritubercular

order pholidota; family manidae

body covered with keratinized, overlapping scale-like plates

families in order carnivora, suborder feliformia

felidae: cats

herpestidae: mongooses

hyaenidae: aardwolf and hyenas

viverridae: civets, genets, and relatives

family felidae of suborder feliformia, order carnivora

skull short, rounded dorsally; rostrum very short, blunt; carnassials very well developed, bladelike

family herpestidae of suborder feliformia, order carnivora

skull elongate, rostrum moderately long; median lacerate foramen present; bulla large, auditory tube present; 1st lower incisor slightly out of line or others in row; last upper molar large triangular

family hyaenidae of suborder feliformia, order carnivora

skulll massive or delicate, rostrum relatively long; upper molar, if present, very small, round or elongate

family viverridae of suborder feliformia of order carnivora; civets, genets, and relatives

skull elongate; rostrum moderately long; postorbital procces of frontal present, short and blunt; sagittal crest variable

suborder caniformia

family candiae

family ursidae

family mephitidae

family mustelidae

family procyonidae

family odobenidae

family otariidae

family phoicidae

family canidae or suborder caniforma of order carnivora

skull elongate, rostrum relatively, narrow postorbital processes of frontal long; last upper molar relatively large, transversely elongate

family ursidae of suborder caniforma of order carnivora

claws large, curved, nonretractile; carnassial pair bunodont, specialized for crushing rather than slicing; last upper molar very large, elongate anteroposteriorly

family mustelidae of suborder caniforma of order carnivora

skull blocky, robust, often flattened; rostrum short; postmandiubular process often prominent and curve daround mandibular fossa, often locking lower jaw into place

families in order Pholidota

Family Manidae