Land and Marine Carnivores: Carnivora - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Carnivores And People, Conservation Status - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT
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Carnivores are found throughout the world. Some, however, are not naturally occurring but have been introduced to some areas.
Carnivores are found both on land and sea. Although most terrestrial carnivores live on land, the polar bear spends most of its time on sea ice, while the palm civet is arboreal (a tree-dweller). The sea otter lives exclusively in the water, as opposed to other marine carnivores who forage in the sea and breed on land.
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The order Carnivora (kar-NIH-vuh-ruh) refers to a group of mammals whose evolutionary ancestors were carnivores, or meat-eaters. Over several millions of years, these ancestors had adapted to the rise of bigger and more powerful herbivores, their main prey, by developing carnassials (kar-NAH-see-uls), bladelike teeth that slice through flesh. Powerful jaws that move up and down were especially use…
The term carnivore literally means meat-eater, but not all species in the order Carnivora live on a strict diet of meat. Among the true carnivores are cats. Although lions in the Kalahari Desert have been known to eat melons, they only do so for the moisture content, not for sustenance. Some mustelids (weasels, martens, and otters) are also pure carnivores. The rest of the mustelids (skunks, badge…
Many carnivores are solitary creatures, except for mating pairs and mother-offspring groups. The majority are not antisocial, as they share overlapping territories and congregate at abundant food sources. Some belong to social groups, in which strict rules are observed. For example, carnivores "talk" to one another through scent marking, or the depositing of anal secretions, urine, a…
The relationship between carnivores and humans is complex. Humans have domesticated the wolf and wild cats and made them house pets. In addition, humans have trained dogs to perform certain tasks. Collies help herd sheep, German shepherds serve as seeing-eye dogs, beagles sniff for drugs at airports, and bloodhounds help locate missing people. Humans and carnivores have historically had conflictin…
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) promotes the conservation of species, assesses their conservation status worldwide, and publishes an annual list of threatened species. The 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists 125 carnivores as threatened. Five are listed as Extinct, no longer living: the Falkland Island wolf, the Caribbean monk seal, the sea mink, the Barbados raccoon, and the Japane…
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