by Shyamala Ratnayeke
Page 1 : The Carnivora
The mammalian order Carnivora is a group consisting largely of predators. The word carnivore means "flesh-eater," and can be used in two contexts. For example, it can describe an animal (not necessarily a member of the Carnivora, nor a mammal) that feeds on other animals. Or it can be used to describe the taxonomic affiliation of an animal (the group of animals it belongs to). In this case, we use the term carnivore in a taxonomic context to refer to members of the order Carnivora. It is important to recognize that not all flesh-eating predators belong to the Carnivora, and that not all Carnivora eat only flesh.
The Carnivora share a common flesh-eating ancestry, having descended from an ancient family, the Miacidae, whose members had enlarged canines and specialized shearing carnassial teeth—all adaptations for a flesh-eating and predatory mode of life. Most modern-day members of the order Carnivora have retained adaptations for a predatory lifestyle to a lesser or greater degree and do not necessarily live on flesh alone. In fact, carnivores like some mongooses and civets eat mostly insects. Black bears may live off fruit and berries for months, and giant pandas eat bamboo almost exclusively. Many carnivores are omnivorous (they eat meat and a wide variety of other foods) and may be highly opportunistic, switching their diet from one food item to another depending on its availability.
| Test Your Carnivore Competence! What is the smallest terrestrial carnivore? What is the largest terrestrial carnivore? Check your answers on the next page. |
These different ways of acquiring food among the carnivores is also reflected by great morphological, ecological and behavioral variation across the order. The eleven families representing the order (see the table on Page 3) range in size from tiny weasels to gigantic polar bears, may be solitary or gregarious, and occupy a diversity of habitats including freezing arctic regions, oceans and rivers, humid tropical forests and hot dry deserts.
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