Order Carnivora Overview

Order Carnivora

• Characteristics of Order Carnivora

  • Represented by various families, including Mephitidae, Mustelidae, Procyonidae.

  • Key features:

  • Large canines for grasping and holding prey.

  • Sharp slicing teeth, specifically carnassials for shearing flesh.

  • Generally shorter snouts compared to herbivorous mammals.

  • Eye sockets oriented more forward on the skull, providing better depth perception associated with predatory behavior.

  • Strong sagittal crest, an area for muscle attachment, indicating a stronger bite force.

Family Mephitidae

• Examples:

  • Striped skunk

  • Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis

  • Skull Features:

    • Medium sized skull.

    • Moderately long snout.

    • Teeth are carnivorous but less extreme compared to weasels, indicative of a more omnivorous diet.

Family Mustelidae

• General Characteristics:

  • Long narrow skull with a pronounced sagittal crest indicating strong chewing muscles.

  • Strong carnivorous teeth adapted for a specialized diet.

  • Elongated body shape.

• Examples:

  • Ermine / Short-tailed weasel

  • Scientific Name: Mustela erminea

  • Skull Features:

    • Very small skull.

    • Very long narrow snout.

  • Long-tailed weasel

  • Scientific Name: Neogale frenata

  • Skull Features:

    • Similar to the short-tailed weasel but with a longer body and tail.

  • Least weasel

  • Scientific Name: Mustela nivalis

  • Skull Features:

    • Smallest skull and body size in the weasel family.

  • American mink

  • Scientific Name: Neogale vison

  • Skull Features:

    • A relatively large skull for its size, indicating carnivorous adaptations.

  • American badger

  • Scientific Name: Taxidea taxus

  • Skull Features:

    • Very wide and heavy skull, adapted for digging and feeding on ground-dwelling prey.

  • American marten

  • Scientific Name: Martes americana

  • Skull Features:

    • Medium skull size with sharp teeth, typical of a carnivorous diet.

  • Fisher

  • Scientific Name: Pekania pennanti

  • Skull Features:

    • Similar adaptations as the marten for predation.

  • Northern river otter

  • Scientific Name: Lontra canadensis

  • Skull Features:

    • Large skull with a rounded braincase, enhancing sensory capabilities underwater.

  • Wolverine

  • Scientific Name: Gulo gulo

  • Skull Features:

    • Robust build reflecting strong predation and scavenging habits.

Family Procyonidae

• Examples:

  • Raccoon

  • Scientific Name: Procyon lotor

  • Skull Features:

    • Teeth are less sharp compared to other carnivores.

    • Molars are more rounded and flat, indicating a more omnivorous diet.

    • Medium skull size with a shorter snout compared to other members of Carnivora, allowing for a more varied dietary intake.