Carnivora

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Taxon level Order
Taxon name Carnivora
Closely related taxa Afrosoricida, Artiodactyla, Cetacea, Chiroptera, Cingulata, Dasyuromorphia, Dermoptera, Didelphimorphia, Diprotodontia, Erinaceomorpha, Hyracoidea, Lagomorpha, Macroscelidea, Microbiotheria, Monotremata, Notoryctemorphia, Paucituberculata, Peramelemorphia, Perissodactyla, Pholidota, Pilosa, Primates, Proboscidea, Rodentia, Scandenti, Sirenia, Soricomorpha, Tubulidentata Encyclopedia of Life
Taxon details The diverse order Carnivora (pronounced /kɑrˈnɪvərə/ or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/; from Latin carō (stem carn-) "flesh", + vorāre "to devour") includes over 13 distinct families and over 260 species of placental mammals. Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word "carnivore" (often popularly applied to members of this group) can refer to any meat-eating animal. Carnivorans are the most diverse in size of any mammalian order, ranging from the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), at as little as 25 grams and 11 centimetres, to the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), which can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms, to the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), whose adult males weigh up to 5,000 kilograms and measure up to 6.9 metres in length.

Carnivorans apparently evolved in North America out of members of the family Miacidae (miacids) about 42 million years ago in the Eocene era. They soon split into cat-like and dog-like forms (Feliformia (cat-like) and Caniformia (dog-like)).

Wikipedia
Taxon morphology details Carnivorans are primarily terrestrial and usually have strong sharp claws, with never fewer than four toes on each foot, and well-developed, prominent canine teeth, cheek teeth (premolars and molars) that generally have cutting edges. The teeth structure and the skull architectures of Carnivores are among their distibguishing features.

Members of Carnivora have diverse food habits, although many are primarily carnivorous, and carnivory is widely distributed in mammals, being found in many other orders including Chiroptera, Metatheria, Primates, and Cetacea.

Species belonging to this taxon Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah), Ailurus fulgens (Red Panda), Arctictis binturong (Binturong, Asian Bearcat,Palawan Bearcat), Arctogalidia trivirgata (Small-toother palm civit), Canis aureus (Golden Jackal), Canis lupus (Gray Wolf), Caracal caracal (Caracal, Persian Cat), Catopuma temminckii (Asian Golden Cat, Temminck's Golden Cat), Cuon alpinus (Dhole), Felis chaus (Jungle Cat), Felis manul (Pallas's Cat, Manul), Felis silvestris (Common Wild Cat), Helarctos malayanus (Malayan Sun bear, Sun bear), Hyaena hyaena (Striped hyaena), Lynx lynx (European lynx, Common lynx , Northern lynx, Siberian lynx, Russian lynx), Melursus ursinus (Sloth bear), Neofelis nebulosa (Clouded Leopard), Paguma larvata (Gem-faced civet, Masked Palm Civet, Himalayan Palm Civet), Panthera pardus (Leopard), Panthera tigris (Tiger), Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Common palm civet, Toddy cat), Paradoxurus jerdoni (Brown palm civet), Pardofelis marmorata (Marbled Cat), Prionailurus bengalensis (Leopard Cat), Prionailurus rubiginosus (Rusty-spotted cat), Prionailurus viverrinus (Fishing Cat), Prionodon pardicolor (Spotted linsang), Uncia uncia (Snow Leopard), Ursus arctos (Grizzly Bear), Ursus thibetanus (Asiatic Black bear,White-chested bear,Moon bear), Viverra civettina (Malabar Civet,Malabar Large-spotted Civet), Viverra zibetha (Large Indian Civet, Da ling mao), Viverricula indica (Small Indian Civet, Rasse), Vulpes bengalensis (Bengal Fox), Vulpes cana (Blanford's fox), Vulpes ferrilata (Tibet Fox, Sand Fox), Vulpes vulpes (Red Fox)


Wikipedia (Web): Wikipedia entry, Accessdate=2011-02-13


EoL (Web): Encyclopedia of Life entry, Accessdate=2011-02-13

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