Mammal ID groupings

Artiodactyla

• Antilocapridae: Pronghorn (Antelope

• Bovidae: American Bison, Big Horn Sheep, Mtn Goat

• Cervidae: Caribou, Elk (Wapiti), Moose, Mule Deer, White Tailed Deer

• Suidae: Wild Boar

• Tayassuidae: Collared Peccary

Artiodactyla: Which families are herbivores, and name their shared characteristics

• Antilocapridae

• Bovidae

• Cervidae

• characteristics:

  • ruminant stomach

  • short day breeding (breed in fall, birth in spring)

  • selodant molars

  • polygamous

Artiodactyla: which families are omnivores and what are their shared characteristics

• Suidae: wild boar

• Tayassuidae: Collared Peccary

• characteristics

  • simple stomach

  • bunodant molars

  • breeds all year

  • polygamous

Of the species in the Artiodactyla, which ones have one young, and which have two young, are they followers or hiders at birth?

One young:

• bison: followers

• Big Horn: followers

• Elk: hiders

Two Young

• Mule Deer: hiders

• White Tailed Deer: hiders

• Pronghorn: hiders

• Collared Peccary: followers

• Moose: followers

How do you tell apart a Mtn Goat and Bighorn Sheep apart visually?

Goat:

• black horns that are slender and point straight up

• white in color

Sheep:

• horns curve around face

• brown w/ white butt

• female horns: are light brown with stripes, curve back slightly

How to tell a Mule Deer, White Tailed, and Black-tailed deer apart?

Mule: large dark forehead, long antlers w/ forks, has first nub of antler, black tip tail

White: brown tail w/ white butt, no forks for antlers (everything comes off of main antler)

Black: fully black tail, no first antler nub (has forks as well)

How do you tell a wild pig and peccary apart visaully?

Wild boar:

• giant skull

• incisors curve out of mouth

Peccary:

• small skull

• incisors point straight down out of mouth

What species often eat lichens for bulk of its diet and has antlers on females (Cervidae)

Caribou

Place the following species in the categories of browser, intermediate feeder, grazer: bison, mule deer, white tailed, pronghorn, elk, moose and bighorn sheep

Browser: white tailed, mule, moose

intermediate: elk, caribou, bighorn

Grazer: bison

What are the five families under Carnivora

1. Felidae

2. Canidae

3. Ursidae

4. Procyonidae

5. Mustelidae

Felidae: species, diet, mating system

• Bobcat, Cougar, Lynx

• carnivores

• promiscuous

Canidae: species, diet, mating system

• Coyote, Gray Wolf, Gray Fox, Red Fox

• Omnivores

• Monogamous

Ursidae: species, diet, mating system

• Black Bear, brown bear

• Omnivore

• polygynous

Procyonidae: species, diet, mating system

• Raccoon

• omnivore

• polygynous

Mustelidae: species, diet, mating system

• American badger, fisher, long tailed weasel, mink, short tail weasel river otter, wolverine

• carnivore

• polygynous and promiscuous

What Families under Carnivora have long day breeding

• Procyonidae, Canidae, and Ursidae

What families under Carnivora have nonseasonal breeding?

Felidae

What families under Carnivora have delayed implantation?

• Mustelidae

What type of young do all members of the Carnivora families have?

• Altricial

Which of the Carnivora families have the larges litters?

Gray wolves 5-15 pups

How often do grizzly bears breed and how old are they when they start?

Start @ age 3, for every three years

How to tell a black bear and grizzly bear apart?

Black: tall ears, no hump, short claws

Brown: humped back, short muzzle, long claws

How to tell Wolf, Coyote, Red Fox, and Gray fox visually

Red fox: skull has V shape on the top (Vulpes, Vulpes)

Gray Fox: skull has U shape on the top (Urocyan)

Coyote: skull has a long nose an a V shape on top but larger than fox

Foxes longer tail than coyotes

Wolves: giant skull teeth touch in front

What species in Carnivora are semi-aquatic?

• mink

• river otter

What Carnivora species live in trees?

• fisher

What species in Carnivora that consume prey burrowing underground?

American Badger

Lagomorpha: family, species, characteristics

• Leporida

• Eastern Cottontail

• Snowshoe Hare

• Black/ White tailed Jackrabbit

• herbivores

• lophodant molars

• hindgut

• nonseasonal breeding

Marsupialia: family, species, characteristics

• Didelphida

• American Opossum

• omnivore

• polygynous

• triangle teeth

What four families are under Order Rodentia?

• Cricetidae

• Erethizontidae

• Sciuridae

• Castoridae

Rodentia, Cricetidae: species, diet, stomach

• Deer Mouse, Groundhog, Muskrat, Meadow Vole

• omnivore

• cecal fermenter

Rodentia, Erethizontidae: species, diet, stomach

• North American Porcupine

• Herbivore

• Cecal fermenter

Rodentia, Sciuridae: species, diet, stomach

• Easter Fox Squirrel, Southern Flying Squirrel, Gray Squirrel Red Squirrel, Groundhog

• omnivore

• simple

Rodentia, Castoridae: species, diet, stomach

• American Beaver

• herbivore

• cecal fermenter

How to tell a hare and rabbit apart visually?

Hare: long legs, tall straight ears, slender, usually white during winter

Rabbit: smaller, more compact, shorter rounder ears, brown