Carnivora - hyenas & Caniformia

Hyena distribution

Mainly Africa

hyena claws

digitigrade, non retractable claws

hyena hunting

hunt large prey and scavenge using bone-crushing teeth

Spotted hyena fun fact

females have pseudopenises

pseudopenises

fully erectile, elongated clitoris - pee, mate and give birth through pseudopenis - causes high cub mortality

Canifromia - dog relatives

Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae

Canids - dogs

wolves, coyote, foxes, dhole, jackals, domestic dogs

canids distribution

cosmopolitan, diversity of habitats

canids diet

flexible diet, but all at east partly carnivorous

canid running adaptation

long limbs, digitigrade, non retractable claws

canids social structure

solitary or form packs (cooperative hunting)

Ursidae - bears

8 species

Ursidae distribution

North and South America, Eurasia

Plantigrade

walk on their entire feet

Ursidae feet

plantigrade & non retractable claws

ursidae diet

mostly omnivorous

ursidae teeth

not well developed carnassials, broad flat molars

Giant panda diet

99% bamboo, limited activity so that they can digest the toxins in their short digestive tract

polar bear

strictly herbivorous

Mustelidae - Mustelids

weasels, badgers, otters, martens, polecats, wolverine

smallest carnivoran

least weasel

Mustelidae distribution

diverse, cosmopolitan, very diverse habitats (terrestrial, arboreal, aquatic)

Mustelidae distribution

mostly highly carnivorous (incl. piscivorous, insectivorous), some omnivorous

Mustelidae body shape

long bodies with short legs and long tails

Mustelidae - enlarged scent glands

musk - used for scent marking and defense

delayed implantation

fertilized egg develops into an embryo, but halts growth by delaying attachment to the uterine wall - characteristic of may mustelids

delayed implantation advantages

waiting until time is right - enough resources, environmental conditions

Pinnipedia

Caniformia that evolved aquatic lifestyle

pinnipedia aquatic but not obligate

leave the water to rest, breed and give birth

pinnipedia morphological similarities

fusiform bodies (streamloined swimming), short & stout limbs modified to flippers, subcutaneous layer of fat (energy insulation and buoyancy), reduced or lost external pinnae (outer ears)

pinnipedia diet

carnivorous diet (mainly fish, cephelopds - squid)

pinnipedia dentition

highly simplified dentition to grasp and hold prey (rather than to chew)

Pinnipedia - specialized dentition

walrus - upper canine tusks (tigging up mollusks but mainly defense and combat)

Pinnipedia milk

very high maternal milk lipid content of milk (fat content > 50%)

Pinnipedia milk adaptation

good for seals that breed on ice so the offspring can wean faster and get off the ice (very nutritious milk) - decreased weaning time and increased growth rate