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ZooPlacentalMammals

OrderCarnivora

OrderCarnivora•  Mainlymeat-eaters,butsome

omnivoresandafewherbivores

•  Adaptationsforpursuingandconsumingprey

•  Distinguishingfeatures:longcaninesandcarnassialteeth

•  Mosthaveacutevisionwithforwardfacingeyes,welldevelopedsenseofsmellandacutehearing

•  ReproductivestrategiesincludedelayedimplantationandinducedovulationLynxrufus

CanoideaDog-likeForms

•  SimilartoDogs•  Longsnout•  Largecanines•  Teethforcrushing,all-

purposeomnivoreteeth•  Non-retractableclaws•  Longlegs

FamilyUrsidaeGrizzlyBear

•  RangeincludesAlaska,westernCanada,Montana,Idaho,Wyoming,andWashingtoninhighmountainwoodedareas,tundraandsub-alpineregions

•  Asubspeciesofthebrownbear,theyarecalled“grizzly”duetothesilvertippedguardhairs

•  4”longfrontclawsandpronouncedshoulderhumpwherepowerfulmusclesattachareadaptationsfordigging

•  Typicallysolitary,butwillcongregatetofishforsalmonduringspawning

•  CAstateanimalandthesymbolonourstateflag;althoughitisextinctinthestate

•  OurtwofemaleswereorphanedinMontanaandrescuedfromeuthanasiabytheZoo

•  ListedasEndangered•  Grizzliesplayanimportantroleinmanagingthe

healthofanecosystembydistributingseedsthroughtheirscat,regulatingungulatepopulationsandmixingtopsoilwhendigging.

Ursusarctoshorribilis

FamilyUrsidaeBlackBear

•  FoundthroughoutNorthAmericafromCanadatoMexicoinlargeforestedareas

•  SmallestoftheNorthAmericanbearsandmostwidelydistributedbearspecies

•  Short,non-retractableclawsprovideforexcellenttreeclimbingandtearingapartstumpsandlogsinsearchofinsects.Theywillclimbtreestoescapedanger.

•  Solitaryanimalwithexceptionofmothersandhercubs

•  Denupdependingonlocalweatherconditionsandavailabilityoffoodduringwintermonths

•  Omnivores;willfeedonawidevarietyoffood,includingnuts,berries,roots,fruits,insects,eggs,fish,mammals,andcarrion

•  Americanblackbearscanbedistinguishedfrombrownbears(includesgrizzlies)bytheirsmallersize,theirlessconcaveskullprofiles,theirshorterclawsandthelackofashoulderhump.

Ursusamericanus

FamilyCanidaeMexicanGrayWolf

•  OncerangedwidelyfromcentralMexicothroughoutthesouthwesternU.S.Now,rangeisrestrictedtosoutheasternArizonaandpartsofNewMexicoandnorthernMexicoinmountainwoodlands,grasslandsandscrublands

•  Carnivorous;theyhuntcooperativelysothattheycantakeoutpreymuchlargerthanthemself.

•  Smallestspeciesofgraywolf,distinguishedbyitssmaller,narrowerskullanditsdarkerpelt

•  Livesinpacksof4–8individuals,includingalphamaleandfemale

•  CriticallyEndangered,wolveswerehunted,trapped,andpoisonedtonearextinctionintheU.S.bythemid-1970s

•  5remainingwolvesinthewildwererescuedandwereusedtostartacaptivebreedingprogram;in1998elevenwolvesreleasedintowild;nowthereare~100.

Canislupusbaileyi

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FamilyAiluridaeRedPanda

•  FoundeasternHimalayasandsouthwestChinainmountainforests

•  Specializedbamboofeeder;small,bonyprojectionontheirwriststhathelpsthemgripbamboostalks

•  Descendtreeheadfirst;rotatesitsankletocontrolitsdescent

•  Territorial,markingwithurineandaweakmusk-smellingsecretionfromtheiranalglands.

•  Distantlyrelatedtothegiantpandamorecloselyrelatedtoraccoonandweasel

•  Endangered,donotsurvivewellinfragmentedhabitat

Ailurusfulgens

FamilyMustelidaeNorthAmericanRiverOtter

•  Largermustelid,foundinrivers,lakesandcoastsovermostofCanadaandtheUS

•  Eatsfish,crawfish,frogs,snakes,lizards,andinsects;occasionallywilltakeducklingsorothersmallaquaticmammals

•  Usuallysolitary•  Becomingmoreraredueto

habitatloss,pollution,andtrapping

•  Knownforbeingplayful;slidedownriverbanksontheirbelliesintothewater

•  Inducedovulatorswithaltricialyoung

Lontracanadensis

FamilyMustelidaeWolverine

•  FoundNCanada,Alaska,NordicEurope,W.Russia,andSiberiainborealforests,taiga,alpineandtundra

•  Wolverinesdonothibernatebutarewelladaptedforwinterexistence;long,denseoilyfur;thefurishydrophobicandresistanttofrost

•  Reputationforferocityandabilitytokillpreymanytimeslargerthanitself

•  Opportunisticomnivores;theyhavespecialuppermolarinthebackofthemouththatisrotated90degreesallowsthemtotearofffrozenmeat

•  Useanalscentglandstomarkterritorywithmusk;nickname"skunkbear"

•  Solitaryexceptforthebreedingperiod•  Inducedovulatorsanddelayed

implantation

Gulogulo

FamilyOtariidaeCaliforniaSeaLion

Zalophuscalifornianus

•  FoundincoastalwatersfromalongthewestcoastofNorthAmerica

•  Socialmarinemammalswithstreamlinedbodiesandpairedflippers

•  Blubberaidsinbuoyancyandinsulation

•  Visibleearpinnaeandrotatablehindflippersdistinguishsealionsandfursealsfromtheothertwofamilies

•  Veryagileswimmers,canalsorunonlandduetotheflexibilityofthehindflippers

•  Zoo’ssealionsareblindedfrominjuryanddiseaseinthewildandnolongerabletosurviveontheirown.TheywererescuedbytheMarineMammalCenterandgivenasecondchanceattheZoo.

FeloideaCat-LikeForms

•  Similartocats•  Shortenedsnout•  Largercanines•  Morespecializedlower

molars-carnassials•  Retractableclaws

(exception:Cheetah)•  “Smallcat”vs.“large

cat”

FamilyHerpestidaeSlender-tailedMeerkat

•  Foundinsemi-arid,opencountry,commonlyhardorstonyground,savannaandgrasslands,widelydistributedinsouthernAfrica

•  Small,socialmongoose,withdarkerstripesalongtanfur,withadarkmask

•  Theybuildburrowsandhavecomplexsocialbehaviorthroughamaternalhierarchysystem

•  Oftenrestsittingbackontheirhaunchesinanuprightposition,willoftensee“scouts”scanningfordangerontopofmoundsandrocks

•  Omnivorous,andhaveabilitytocatchvenomouspreysuchasscorpionsandsnakes

Suricatasuricatta

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FamilyEupleridaeFossa

•  LargestcarnivorousmammalendemictoMadagascar

•  Preferspristineundisturbedforeststhataremorehumidthandry

•  Cathermalandusuallysolitary•  50%ofdietislemurs,restissmall

mammals,lizardsandbirds•  Agileclimberswithsemi-retractable

clawsandflexibleanklestoclimbdowntreeheadfirst

•  Tailmakesup½lengthofbody•  Plantigradegaitgivesthemextra

balanceandstabilitywhilemaneuveringamongstthetrees

Cryptoproctaferox

OFF EXHIBIT

FelidaeFamily-Cats•  Adaptationsforpursuingand

consumingprey•  Mosthaveacutevisionwith

forwardfacingeyes,welldevelopedsmellandacutehearing

•  Tapetumlucidiumenhancesvisualsensitivityinlowlightespeciallyatnight

•  Wideperipheralvision•  Anobligatecarnivorethatmust

eatmeatinordertothrive•  “Bigcats”haveelasticsegmentof

hyoidboneallowingthemtoproducearoarversus“smallcats”haveboneyhyoidandpurr

Pantheraleo

FamilyFelidaeAfricanLion

•  Memberofthebigcatsubfamily;large,tawny,muscularcatfoundinAfricainopengrasslandareas

•  Onlycatspeciestoformsocialgroups,calledprides,withonemale,femalesandcubs

•  Cooperativelyhuntlargehoofstocksuchaszebras,wildebeest,Africanbuffalo,andantelope;mainlyfemalesdoingthehunting

•  Sexualdimorphism,withmaleshavingathickmanethatcanbetantoblack;thoughttobeprotectiveinterritorialfightswithothermales

•  Distinctroarcanbeheardovermiles;advertisesterritoryandgatherspridetogether

•  SSPspecies

Pantheraleo

FamilyFelidaeSumatranTiger

•  Smallestof5tigersubspecies,malesbeingabout350lbs,alsowiththedarkestcoatcolor

•  Prefersdeepjungles,foundontheislandofSumatraoffthecoastofMalaysia,probablylessthan600remaining

•  Dietconsistsofwildpigandsambardeer;90%ofthetimethecatsfailtocatchtheirintendedprey

•  SSPspecies;classifiedasCriticallyEndangeredbyIUCNandisonAppendixIofCITES

•  ZoosupportstheAZATigerConservationCampaign,whichsupportwildtigerconservationeffortsandraiseawarenessaboutwildtigers Pantheratigrissumatrae

FamilyFelidaeSnowLeopard

•  Withinlargecatsubfamily;smallerspecieswiththickwhitefurandlargeblackrosettes,long,thicktailforbalance

•  Foundinsteppes,forestsandrockyterrainathigheraltitudesincentralandsouthernAsia;onlystrictlyalpinecat;verysecretiveandrarelyseen

•  Widerangeofprey,frombirds,hares,androdents,tosheep,goats,wildassesandyak

•  Endangeredandhighlyprizedforitsfur•  Haselastichyoidbonebutdoesnot

roar,butstilldesignatedwithotherbigcats

•  SSPspecies,classifiedasEndangeredbyIUCNandonAppendixIoftheCITES

•  Zoohashadsuccessfulbreedinghistoryofsnowleopards,producing42snowleopardssince1958andsupportstheSnowLeopardConservancy

Pantherauncia

FamilyFelidaeFishingCat

•  Inthesmallcatsubfamily;thismediumcatisspottedwithagrayishcoat,andashorttail

•  Semi-webbedtoesforfishingnearrivers,lakesandstreams;besidesfish,willeatfrogs,snakes,crayfish,shellfish,insects,waterbirdsandsmallmammals

•  NativetoSoutheastAsia•  SSPspecies

Prionailurusviverrinus

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FamilyFelidaeBobcat

•  RangesfromsouthernCanadatonorthernMexico,includingmostofthecontinentalUnitedStatesfoundmostlyinwoodedareas

•  Crepuscular•  Territorialandlargelysolitary•  Mayhaveseveraldens,one

maindenandseveralauxiliarydens,initsterritory

Lynxrufus