Marsupials and Carnivores

Insectivores

A type of meat-eating mammal that primarily eats insects.

Mammals that are insectivores

Shrews, moles, tenrecs, hedgehogs, marsupial opossums.

Teeth of insectivores

Small, sharp, pointed teeth with poorly differentiated incisors, canines, and molars.

Insectivores that use echolocation

Shrews and tenrecs.

Insectivores that have spines and roll into a ball for defense

Hedgehogs and some tenrecs.

Convergent evolution in hedgehogs and tenrecs

Independent evolution of spines and rolling defense.

Hedgehog anointing

A behavior where hedgehogs spread substances on their spines for unknown reasons.

Insectivore that shrinks its skull in winter

Some shrews.

How insectivores find prey

Through keen sense of smell, touch, and hearing.

Insectivore with toxic saliva to paralyze prey

Some shrews.

Why insectivores are usually small

Larger insectivores would struggle to find enough food.

Carnivory and Carnivora

No, not all Carnivora are obligate carnivores.

Obligate or hypercarnivores

Carnivores that cannot digest plant material (e.g., cats).

Mesocarnivores

Carnivores with at least 50% of their diet as meat (e.g., foxes, coyotes, raccoons).

Hypocarnivores

Carnivores with less than 30% of their diet as meat (e.g., bears, binturong, kinkajou).

Where Carnivora are found

Worldwide, in nearly every terrestrial and aquatic habitat.

Variation in size and behavior of carnivores

They range from small to large, can be sexually dimorphic, and may be social or solitary.

Bone most carnivores have

A baculum (penis bone).

Human view of carnivores

With admiration, but also persecution and exploitation.

Importance of carnivores to ecosystems

They control prey populations and create a 'fear factor.'

Two suborders of Carnivora

Caniformia (dog-like) and Feliformia (cat-like).

Defining dental feature of Carnivora

Carnassial teeth.

Function of carnassial teeth

Shearing meat.

Specialization of hypercarnivore teeth

Dominated by carnassials behind canines (e.g., cats).

Specialization of mesocarnivore teeth

Back molars are broader for mixed diets (e.g., foxes).

Specialization of omnivore teeth

Carnassials are blunt, with broad molars for grinding (e.g., bears).

Carnivores with broad molars for crushing bone

Dogs and hyenas.

Baculum

A bone in the penis of most mammals.

Percentage of mammals with a baculum

86%.

Female equivalent of a baculum

A baubellum.

Larger bacula

Caniforms.

Other mammals that have bacula

Rodents, bats, primates, and insectivores.

Location of scent glands in carnivores

Face, tail, and anal regions.

Uses of scent glands

Territory marking, recognition, and defense.

Carnivores with non-protractile claws

Canids, bears, and weasels.

Carnivores with protractile claws

Felids, civets, and genets.

Carnivore with semi-protractile claws

The cheetah.

Advantage of cheetah's semi-protractile claws

Better traction for speed.

Skeletal adaptations of carnivores for hunting

Strong jaws, sharp canines, carnassials, sagittal crest, zygomatic arch.

Reason for reduced or absent collarbones in carnivores

To make forelimbs more flexible for prey capture.

Flexible forelimbs

To make forelimbs more flexible for prey capture.

Carnivore spine flexibility

Strong vertebral columns and long tails.

Digitigrade carnivores

Carnivores that walk on their toes (cats, dogs).

Plantigrade carnivores

Carnivores that walk flat-footed (bears, raccoons).

Highly developed senses in carnivores

Smell, hearing, and vision.

Bone structure for smell

Turbinal bones.

Bone structure for hearing

Auditory bullae.

Vision adaptation in carnivores

Binocular vision.

Habitat of wild cats

Worldwide.

Smallest cat species

The black-footed cat (1 kg).

Largest cat species

The tiger (300 kg).

Adaptations for stealth hunting in cats

Short limbs, patterned coats, acute vision, hearing, and ambush tactics.

Structure for night vision in cats

Tapetum lucidum.

Cats that roar but don't purr

Big cats (lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard, cheetah).

Cats that purr but don't roar

Small cats (bobcat, lynx, puma, ocelot, serval, wild cat, Geoffrey's cat).

Social behavior of most cats

Most are solitary; lions are social.

Conservation status of wild cats

All are threatened to some degree.

Conservation status of tigers

Endangered, though population estimates improved after 2015.

Major threats to tigers

Habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, human conflict.

Potential extinction of lions

By 2050.

Iberian lynx population

About 100-200.

Cause of Iberian lynx decline

Habitat loss and introduced disease.

Pure Scottish wildcats remaining

About 400.

Endangerment of Scottish wildcats

Habitat loss, persecution, hybridization with domestic cats.

Florida panther classification history

A critically endangered subspecies, now classified as North American cougar.

Main threats to Florida panthers

Habitat loss, car collisions, genetic depletion.

Hyena habitat

Africa and Asia.

Hyena behavior comparison

They show traits of both dogs and cats.

Hyena reputation versus reality

They have been maligned as scavengers but are intelligent and social.

Roles of hyenas in ecosystems

Both predators and scavengers.

Hyena with strong bite force

The spotted hyena.

Hyena communication methods

Through complex vocalizations and scent marking.

Unusual trait of female spotted hyenas

A pseudopenis used in greeting.

Dominant sex in hyenas

Females.

Habitat of mongooses and meerkats

Africa and Asia.

Diet of mongooses

Insects and invertebrates, and some kill venomous snakes.

Mongoose resistance to snake venom

They have some natural immunity.

Lifestyle of mongooses

Ranges from solitary to social.

Activity pattern of mongooses and meerkats

They are diurnal.

Social groups of meerkats

Troops of 2-3 families.

Dominant member in meerkat troops

The breeding female.

Dwarf mongoose alliance with birds

With hornbills, for vigilance and feeding.

Habitat of civets and genets

Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Diet of civets and genets

Fruits, insects, and meat (omnivorous).

Common palm civet alternative name

The 'toddy cat.'

Unusual food of common palm civet

Fermented palm sap.

Fermented palm sap

Kopi luwak

An expensive coffee linked to civets.

Fossa

A civet relative from Madagascar that eats lemurs.

Transient masculinization

A unique trait that occurs in juvenile female fossas.

Civet oil

A product used to make perfume.

Civets

Many are threatened due to tropical deforestation.

Canids

Found worldwide, in diverse habitats.

Key traits of canids

Long limbs, upright ears, bushy tails, long rostrums, non-protractile claws.

Hunting methods of canids

Cooperative pack hunting and pursuit hunting.

Grey wolf

The largest and most widespread canid.

Grey wolf population

Declined due to persecution, but has recovered.

Red wolf

The rarest wolf.

Small red wolf population

Survives in North Carolina.

African wild dogs

Have declining, fragmented populations, though once numerous.