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carnivore

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(kär'nӘvôr´´), term commonly applied to any animal whose diet consists wholly or largely of animal matter. In animal systematics it refers to members of the mammalian order Carnivora (see Chordata ). This large order is divided into two suborders, the Fissipedia, or land carnivores, and the Pinnipedia, or fin-footed carnivores. The Fissipedia encompasses two superfamilies: one (Canoidea) includes the dog , bear , raccoon , and weasel families and the other (Feloidea) includes the cat , civet , and hyena families. The Pinnipedia, often classified as a separate order, includes the seal , sea lion , and walrus families. The term herbivore refers to animals whose diets consist wholly or largely of plant matter; omnivore refers to animals that eat both animal and plant matter. Unlike the term carnivore , these terms do not refer to any one group in animal systematics. See Ewer, R. F. , The Carnivores (1986);. Gittleman, J. L. , Carnivore Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution (1989). …
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Full text Article carnivore

From Philip's Encyclopedia
Any member of the order of flesh-eating mammals. Mustelids - weasels, martens, minks and the wolverine - make up the largest family. Cats are the most specialized killers among the carnivores; dogs, bears and raccoons are much less exclusively meat eaters; and civets, mongooses and their relatives…
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Full text Article carnivore

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(kär'nӘvôr´´), term commonly applied to any animal whose diet consists wholly or largely of animal matter. In animal systematics it refers to members of the mammalian order Carnivora (see Chordata ). This large order is divided into two suborders, the Fissipedia, or land carnivores, and the…
| 152 words
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Full text Article Carnivores

From Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals
The typical dental formula of carnivores is I3/3,...
Carnivores are wonderfully diverse in form, function, and habitat. The polar bear is up to 25,000 times heavier than the least weasel; the giant panda ambles about foraging for bamboo shoots, while the cheetah dashes in pursuit of antelope at up to 96km/h (60mph); the aardwolf licks up termites and…
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Full text Article carnivore

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Any meat-eating animal, but especially any member of the order Carnivora, consisting of 12 families of primarily predatory mammals: Canidae (e.g., dog s), Ursidae ( bear s), Procyonidae ( raccoon s), Mustelidae ( weasel s), Mephitidae ( skunk s), Viverridae ( civet s), Herpestidae ( mongoose s), …
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Full text Article Malagasy Carnivores

From Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals
The three Malagasy viverrids: 1 the falanouc is...
The Malagasy carnivores are a morphologically, ecologically, and behaviorally diverse group and have been taxonomically problematic since their discovery. Previously it was thought that the Malagasy carnivores represented 2–4 separate lineages with the Malagasy civets grouped in the Viverridae and…
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Full text Article carnivore

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Organism that eats other animals. In zoology, a mammal of the order Carnivora. Carnivores have the greatest range of body size of any mammalian order, from the 100 g/3.5 oz weasel to the 800 kg/1,764 lb polar bear. The characteristics of the Carnivora are sharp teeth, small incisors, a…
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Full text Article Large Marsupial Carnivores

From Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals
Large Marsupial Carnivores
The large marsupial carnivores consist of six species of the exquisitely spotted quolls, and the Tasmanian devil, a single species assigned to its own genus. Tasmanian devils are perhaps best known to the general public in the form of “Taz,” the Warner Brothers cartoon character. But the comic image…
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Full text Article Small Marsupial Carnivores

From Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals
The Kangaroo Island dunnart is so rare and...
The small marsupial carnivores include some of the smallest mammals on Earth, yet the ferocity they display in hunting belies their size. All show a predilection for live food, preying mainly on insects and other invertebrates, but also taking lizards, fledgling birds, and other small mammals. …
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Life-like model of the Eurasian...
Predatory mammals are an essential part of the modern food web, and perform the important ecological function of keeping populations of prey species healthy and in check. They are also common as pets, from the dogs and cats that are the most popular pets of all to unusual carnivores such as ferrets. …
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Full text Article Carnivora: Carnivores

From The Arctic Guide: Wildlife of the Far North Full text Article MAMMALS
Carnivora: Carnivores
Carnivores are meat-eaters that prey on other animals. They are distinguished from other mammals by the possession of 4 carnassial teeth (the fourth upper premolar and first lower molar on each side of the jaw), which cut against one another like scissors and act to shear flesh. They also have large…
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