Order Carnivora

Suborder Fissipedia – the fissipeds (toes separated from one another)

Creodonta (“mongoose”-size to “wolf”-size)

Canidae Ursidae Procyonidae Mustelidae Felidae Viverridae Hyaenidae

Superfamilies Arctoidea Aeluroidea

(Eocene) Miacidae (Fissipedia)

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(Early Tertiary) Creodonta (lack defined carnassials)

General Characteristics:

1) Complex foot structure Digitigrade (walk on toes) = canids & felids Plantigrade (walk on soles with heels touching ground) = ursids, procyonids

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2) Skull • Heavy, strong facial muscles • Large braincase

3) Jaw articulation • No side-to-side movement of lower jaw

4) Carnassials • Upper P4 & lower M1 • Highly developed in felids, poorly developed in ursids and procyonids

Family Canidae – dogs

Canis lupus (gray wolf) • Huge skull • Sharp and elongate carnassials • Massive molars • Canines do not extend below mental foramina • Broad palate/rostrum

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Canis latrans (coyote) • Canines extend below mental foramina • Slender palate/rostrum • Flat skull

wolf coyote

Canis familiaris (dog) • Canines lack robustness • High arched skull

Vulpes vulpes (red fox) • Sagittal ridges form V-shape on top of skull • Slender rostrum • Smaller than coyote • White tip on tail

Urocyon cinereoargenteus (gray fox) • Black line on tail • Temporal ridges on top of skull form bell-lyre shape • Step in dentary • Salt & pepper gray, reddish brown, black, white

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Family Ursidae – bears

Ursus americanus (black bear) • Large skull • Huge bunodont molars/premolars • Anterior premolars vestigial • Posterior molars < 1 inch in length

Family Mustelidae – weasels

Martes pennanti (fisher) • 38 teeth • Long body (~2 ft); long, bushy tail (~1 ft) • P 4/4 • Black fur, some white tips

Martes americana (American marten) • P 4/4 • Smaller skull compared to fisher (largest marten skull still smaller than smallest fisher skull) – tympanic bulla • Long & shiny fur • Cream-colored patch on throat/chest • Cat-like ears, semi-retractable claws (long & sharp)

Mustela vison (mink) • 34 teeth • Inflated tympanic bulla • Dumb bell-shaped 3rd upper molar • Flattened skull • No black tip on tail • Brown belly, white throat spots

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Lontra canadensis (river otter) • Flat tympanic bulla • No triangular molars • Last upper molar = square • Globular braincase • Webbed feet

Taxidea taxus (badger) • Wedge-shaped skull, widens to posterior • Inflated tympanic bulla • Triangular upper P4 and upper M1

Mustela frenata (long-tailed weasel) • Long rostrum • 34 teeth • Spear-shaped postorbital processes • Black tip on tail • White to yellow belly • Long tail (<6 in)

Mustela erminea (short-tailed weasel) • Long rostrum • Spear-shaped postorbital processes • Black tip on tail • White to yellow belly • tail 2-4 in

Mustela nivalis (least weasel) • Smallest weasel • No black tip on tail • White to yellow belly • Short (~1in) tail

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Family Mephitidae – skunks (separated from Mustelidae based on genetics)

Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk) • 34 teeth • Flat tympanic bulla • High arched skull

Family Procyonidae – procyonids = cacomistle, coatis, raccoons

Procyon lotor (raccoon) • 40 teeth (10 in a row) • Bunodont molars • Arched skull • Sagittal crest on older individuals

Family Felidae – cats

Lynx rufus (bobcat) • Short face • Long canines • Huge carnassials • Upper M1 = tiny • Spotted fur • Bobbed tail • P 2/2

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Lynx canadensis (Canada lynx) • Short face • Long canines • Huge carnassials • Upper M1 = tiny • P 2/2 • Ear tuffs • Long limbs and large feet • Bobbed tail with black tip

Comparing Lynx rufus (left) and Lynx canadensis (right) basilar parts of skull. Note the difference in the shapes of the presphenoid bones and the placement of the anterior condyloid foramina.

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Puma concolor (cougar) • Uniform tawny fur • Long tail • Tiny upper M1 • Large skull • Short face • P 3/2

Comparing number of premolars between Felis (P 3/2)and Lynx (P 2/2). Note that bobcat is now Lynx rufus instead of Felis rufus

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