Bio of mammals Practical 2 set

Suborder Sciumorpha

mountian beavers and sciuridae (squirrels and chipmunks)

Aplodontidae

mountain beaver

apple-shaped teeth

forests

omnivourus

diurnal and nocturnal

semi fossorial

colonial

Pacific Northwest USA

Sciuridae

tiny infra orbital foreman

turkey leg/fan teeth

large and see-through bullae

very small skull, sciuromorphous

many habitats

 nuts, seeds, bark

most diurnal, some nocturnal

arboreal to semi fossorial

worldwide except for Australia Madagascar and poles

Suborder Caastorimorpha

Pocket gophers and beavers

Geomyidae

small infraorbital foramen

ring-like teeth

parallel upper tooth rows

sciuromorphous

zygomatic plate

fossorial

roots and plants

solitary

North America

Castoridae

beavers

folded teeth

skinny slit for infraorbital foramen

pinky pit between bullae

eat bark and leaves

nocturnal

amphibious

family groups

Northern Europe, Northern Asia, North America

Suborder Anomaluromorpha 

Family Pedetidae

Spring hares

deer hoof teeth

massive IO foramen

hystricomorphous (parallel teeth)

extended nasal

horizontal zygomatic plate

sciurognathous

grasslands

herbivorous

nocturnal

terrestrial, semi-fossorial

live in pairs

sub-saharan Africa

Suborder Myomorpha

jumping mice, old and new world mice/rats

Zapodidae

Jumping mice

Large IO foramen

grey folded teeth

fenestrated angular process

sciurognathous

forests to grasslands

leafy vegetation, seeds, fungi, small insects

nocturnal and crepescular

solitary

saltatorial/bipedal

North America and China

Muridae

Old world rats/mice/gerbils

popcorn teeth, 3 rows of cusps

Myomorphus

omnivorous

many habitats

diurnal, nocturnal, and crepescular

terrestrial

some gregarious, some solitary

All continents except antarctica

Cricetidae

New world Mice/rats/voles/hamsters

Last molar looks weird, bi-serial cusp

Prismatic teeth

pinky nail size bullae

Myomorphous

many habitats

omnivorous

mostly terrestrial

some gregarious, some solitary

North and South America, Europe, and most of Asia

Suborder Hystricidae

porcupines, capybara, guinea pigs

Hystricidae

old world porcupines

island teeth, football skull

deserts to forests

herbivorous

nocturnal and crepuscular

terrestrial, fossorial

solitary to moderately gregarious

Asia and Africa

Erethizontidae

New world Porcupines

bear claw teeth

blocky skull

Hystricomorphous

deserts to forests

mostly herbivorous, some small insects and reptiles

nocturnal

arboreal and terrestrial

usually solitary

North and South America

Caviidae

Massive IO foramen

laminate, pointy teeth (tear drop)

big skull

many habitats, not forests

herbivorous

Diurnal or crepuscular

Terrestrial to amphibious

most are colonial

South America

Hystricomorphous

Greatly enlarged IO foramen

medial masseter is enlarged

Myomorphous

Average sized IO foramen and zygomatic plate

Sciuromorphous

Large zygomatic plate

Sciurus niger

eastern fox squirrel

orange belly

Sciurus carolinensis

Eastern gray squirrel

white belly

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

north American red squirrel

smaller, with white ring around eye

Tamias striatus

regular chipmunk

Glaucomys volans

southern flying squirrel

big eyes

Marmota monax

largest squirrel

woodchuck

Ictidomys tridecemlineatus

13 lined ground squirrel

Castor canadensis

North American beaver

Zapus hudsonius

jumping mice

big long feet on mouse

Erethizon dorsatum

North American porcupine

Rattus norvegicus

brown rat

Mus musculus

brown belly mouse, smaller than a rat

Peromyscus maniculatus

deer mouse

brown top

white belly

wail is as long as its body

Ondatra zibethicus

common muskrat

long thick tail

dark brown fur

Microtus ochrogaster

prairie vole

short tail

large and dark fur

Protogomorphous

infraorbital foramen small and round, no zygomatic plate

Sciurognathous

condition in rodents in which the angular process lines in the same vertical plane as the tooth row

Hystricognathous

condition in rodents in which the angular process lies lateral to the vertical plane of the tooth row

Suborder Yinpterochiroptera

Pteropodidae (old world fruit bats)

Rhinolophidae (horsechoe bats)

Pteropodidae

old world fruit bats

big size

long claws and feet

v shape uropatagium

forests, woodlands, savannahs, and swamps

eats fruit, pollen, and nectar

evening and night

gregarious or solitary

little to no echolocation

old world tropics/subtropics

Rhinolophidae

large bulb above nasal

nose leaf

forest and non-forest areas

insectivores

nocturnal, hibernate in temperate regions

simple echolocation

solitary ot gregarious

temperate and tropical regions in the old world

suborder yangochiroptera

Noctilionidae, phyllostomidae, molossidae, vespertilionidae

Noctilionidae

bulldog shaped face

sagital crest

no post-orbital process

big feet relative to size

usually roost near water

insects, frogs, fish, and crustaceans

nocturnal

gregarious

southern Mexico, central and south America

Phyllostomidae

Vampire and leaf-nosed bats

U-shaped uropatagium

vamps only have incisors and canines

desert scrub, tropical forests near water, tropical lowlands

meat, blood, insects, nectar, and fruit

nocturnal, maybe migrate

gregarious to solitary

tropical and subtropical new world

Molossidae

free tailed bats

tail separate from uropatagium

pre maxilla fused or separate

variable range

insectivores

nocturnal

solitary to highly gregarious

Everywhere except Antarctica

Vespertilionidae

unfused premaxilla

some have fur on tail

most are cave dwellers

insectivores, some species eat fish

nocturnal, some hibernate, some migrate

solitary to gregarious

worldwide in temperate and tropical areas

Myotis lucifugus

little brown bat

uropatagia is lighter color, notch shaped

Eptesicus fuscus

uropatagia is darker, looks like and exponential curve

Lasionucteris noctivagans

very dark fur with some silver hairs

Lasiurus borealis

red fur, furry tail

Lasiurus cinereus

furry tail, grey fur

Patagium

membrane of skin that provides gliding surface for the wings of bats

Uropatagium

Part of the patagium that runs between the hind legs

Calcar

a spur of cartilage that projects medially from the ankle of many species of bats

Sanguinivorous

feeding primarily on blood

Tragus

a projection of the lower medial margin of the pinna, it is prominent in most ‘microbats’ and is involve in echolocation

Antitragus

a small fleshy projection on the postero-ventral margin of the pinna, prominent in some bat species

Suborder Caniformia

Canids, Ursidae, Procyonidae, Ailuridae, Mustilidae, Mephitidae

Canidae

dogs, wolves, foxes, etc

Well developed carnassial, last molar often transversely elongate

Long narrow rostrum

alisphenoid canal present

Nocturnal or diurnal

everywhere except antarctica

Canis latrans

coyote, longer rostrum with v shaped earC

Canis lupus

wolf, rounded ear

Vulpes vulpes

v shaped ridge on skull, orange color

Urocyon cinereoargentus

northern gray fox, u-shaped ridge on skull

Ursidae

bears

massive, heavy skull

bunodont dentition

Carnassials are less developed, good for crushing

paroccipital process extends ventrally

small bullae

aliphenoid canal

omnivorous

nocturnal

everywhere except Australia and antarctica

Ursus americanus

American black bear

Procyonidae

racoons

somewhat bunodont teeth with 3-4 cusps

undeveloped carnassial

short rostrum

rectangular teeth set up in jaw

flared zygomatic arch

nocturnal

solitary or family groups

Southern Canada to Northern Argentina

Procyon lotor

Raccoons

Ailuridae

Red pandas

popcorn like cheek teeth

Forests with bamboo understory

eats bamboo leaves, berries, eggs, and other leaves

nocturnal and crepuscular

arboreal

solitary

Himalayan mountains in Burma, China, Nepal, and India

Mustelidae

weasels, badgers, otters, etc.

extended palatine bone, short rostrum and enlarged brain case

dumb-bell shaped upper molar

lower jaws often locked

various habitats

nocturnal or diurnal

amphibious to terrestrial

usually solitary

Everywhere excepts Antarctica and Australia

Taxidea taxus

American Badger

Lontra canadensis

River otter, webbed feet, flatter skull

Mustela vison

mink, long and skinny and brown

Mustela frenata

long-tailed weasel

largest weasel

Light brown with dark tip on tail

Mustela erminea

Ermine, short tail, white fur

Mustela nivalis

Smallest weasel, small and brown, short tail

Nartes americana

pine marten orange and small

Pekania pennanti

dark brown, long and large

Mephitidae

skunks

Weird, rounded last molar

long, dorso-ventrally flattened skull

elongated braincase

extended palate

Omnivorous

Nocturnal

solitary

Americas and Asia

Mephitis mephitis

striped skunk

Suborder Feliformia

auditory bullae separated, rounded skull, more specialized teeth

Felidae

cats

reduced, specialized dentition

rounded skull with short rostrum

large bullae

carnivorous

solitary except for lions

Everywhere except Australia and Antarctica

Puma concolor

mountain lions

Lynx canadensis

Canadian lynx, larger than bobcat (skin only)

Lynx rufus

white patch on the tip of the tail, smaller than lynx, full taxidermy

Viverridae

civets, genets

Zalambdodont-like teeth

bullae septum is angled 45 degrees from the skull line

carnivorous

nocturnal

skillful climbers

solitary

Africa and Asia

Herpestidae

mongooses and meerkats

first lower incisor is out of line with the rest of the teeth

bullae septum is perpendicular to skull line has holes on the side of bullae

omnivorous

solitary to highly social

Asia and Africa

Hyaenidae

Hyenas

paraoccipital process is next to the bullae

huge sagittal crest

bulky skull with huge carnassial

crowded teeth

teeth spaced out and small in aardwolf

nocturnal

solitary to gregarious

Africa and Asia

Alisphenoid bone

located anterior to the squamosal in the temporal fossa

Alisphenoid canal

tubular passageway beneath an arch of bone near the base of the alisphenoid bone, blood vessels pass through it

Ectotympanic

bone that forms the ring holding the eardrum or tympanic membrane, makes up much of the auditory bullae

Entotympanic

bone surrounding middle ear cavity

Mastoid Process

if present it is located just posterior of the auditory bullae, and lateral to the paraoccipital processes

Postglenoid Process

extension of the squamosal that lock in the condyloid process of the dentary

Suborder Strepsirrhini

Lemuridae, Lorisidae, Galagidae, Daubentoniidae

Suborder Haplorrhini

Tarsiidae, Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Atelidae, Cercopithecidae, Hylobatidae, Hominidae

Order Dermoptera

Cynocephalidae

Lemuridae

Lemurs

diprotodont like teeth

long rostrum

post orbital bar

temporal ridges dont touch

moist and dry forests

Arboreal

gregarious

Madagascar

Lorisidae

Skull looks circular from a birds eye view

Temporal ridges

post orbital bar

prominent diastema

Quadritubercular molars

Forests

Insectivorous

Nocturnal

Arboreal

Solitary

Africa and Asia

Galagidae

Bush babies

Long bullae

post orbital bar

Forests

Insectivorous or omnivorous

Nocturnal

Arboreal

Solitary or family groups

Africa

Daubentonidae

aye-aye

Rodent like incisors

Lowland forests

insect larvae, sap,

Nocturnal

Arboreal

solitary or pairs

Madagascar

Tarsiidae

Top front upper incisors are long and pointy

Big eyes with a hole in the plate

forests

insectivorous

Nocturnal

Arboreal

pairs or small groups

southeast asia

Callitrichidae

Tritubercular molars

super small skull with big canines

Tropical forests

insectivorous

Diurnal

arboreal

family groups

Central and south America