Mammals 2 Flashcards
(101 cards)
1
Q
Order marsupialia
A
Marsupials
2
Q
Order soricomorpha (formerly insectivora)
A
Shrews and moles
3
Q
Order Chiroptera
A
Bats
4
Q
Order Lagomorpha
A
Hares, rabbits, pikas
5
Q
Order rodentia
A
Rodents
6
Q
Order Carnivora
A
Carnivores
7
Q
Order pinnipedia and what else can this be labelled as?
A
Seals and sea lions
Sometimes listed as a suborder or superfamily under order Carnivora
8
Q
Order Cetacea
A
Whales, dolphins, porpoises
9
Q
Order Artiodactyla
A
Even-toed ungulates
10
Q
Order perissodactyla
A
Odd-tied ungulates
11
Q
What are 2 families of carnivores that are dietary omnivores?
A
Family ursidae and family procyonidae (raccoons)
12
Q
2 general facts about carnivores?
A
Tend to be medium sized animals with acute senses
Take individual prey alone or as a social group (ie packs)
13
Q
The 5 families in order Carnivora scientific and common names
A
Canidae - wolves , foxes, coyotes Felidae - cougars, lynxes, bobcats Ursidae - bears Procyonidae - raccoons Mustelidae - fur bearers ie. minks, martens, otters, weasels, fishers
14
Q
All mammals are technically “fur bearers” but what family of carnivores does this apply to for their specific use?
A
Family Mustelidae
The minks, weasels, otters etc.
15
Q
What is a reason for coyotes taking over the ecological niche in Yellowstone when the wolves were exterpated? What happened when they were re-introduced?
A
Nature abhorres an empty niche
Wolves took niche back and coyote populations decreased.
16
Q
All red foxes are red. True or False?
A
No. Many color variations are possible
Bears, wolves, raccoons and many others also have this possibility
Not all grey wolves are grey
Not all black bears are black
17
Q
What is the dental formula for the canidae family?
A
3.1.4.2/3.1.4.2-3
18
Q
Name 3 BC species in the family felidae
A
Cougar, bobcat, lynx
19
Q
How many subspecies of cougar (Felis concolor) are there in BC?
A
3: F c orgonensis, coastal, darker
F c missoulensis, interior, paler
F c vancouverensis, smaller, redder
20
Q
What is the main diet of the cougar?
A
Small mammals to young moose. Mostly deer.
21
Q
What method do cougars use to Jill small prey?
A
Breaking the neck
22
Q
What method do cougars use to kill large prey?
A
Suffocation by collapsing the trachea.
23
Q
What are 3 features of the lynx?
A
Large tufts on ears
Completely black tail tip
Large feet with long hind legs
24
Q
What is the main diet of the lynx?
A
Snowshoe hare
25
What are 5 features of the lynx?
```
Smallest BC wildcat
Black tail tip only on top
Small tufts on ears
Primarily nocturnal
Need ~100km sq. of home range
```
26
Why is the home range of a mammal significant?
Important for ecosystem preservation
27
Does color variation exist in Black bears?
Yes. They can be black, brown, reddish, white.... Etc.
28
What is the cause for white black bears?
Likely a recessive gene because offspring can exhibit it while parents do not.
29
What are 6 ways to tell grizzlies and black bears apart?
Grizzlies have shoulder hump
Grizzlies have dish-shaped facial profile, black bear is straight
Grizzlies have small rounded ears, b bears have large pointed ears
Grizzly claws are light color and gently curved, b bears are sharply curved and dark colored
Grizzly toe pads are further removed from main foot pad and a straight line can be drawn between them, b bear toe pads closer to main pad and a straight line cannot be drawn
Grizzly claw print is further from toe-pad
30
What is family procyonidae and what order is it in?
Raccoon family in order Carnivora
31
What are 7 characteristics of the procyonidae family?
Racoons have a black mask and bushy tail with black bands
Normally stay within 2 blocks of territory
Adapt well to urbanization (rare for animals)
Have colour variations (albino)
Sometimes wash food before eating
Live in hollow logs or trees or burrows of other animals
Excellent climbers
32
What is the racoon feeding mode?
Omnivorous- true omnivores that eat almost anything
33
What kinds of things do omnivores eat?
fish, crayfish, crabs, snails, snakes, birds and eggs, frogs, fruits, nuts arthropods, small mammals
34
What are racoons known as in Germany?
Wash Bears because they wash their food
- Obscure behavior that was once selected for but is not selected against now
- Tactile sense improvement b/c racoons are tactile creatures?
35
What is Order Carnivora Family Mustelidae?
The fur bearers such as otters, minks, martens, fishers, wolverines
36
Why are Sea otters such an important part of the marine ecosystem?
They are a keystone predator and their removal from a system causes sea urchins to increase and the deterioration of the kelp forest nurseries that urchins feed upon.
37
What are 5 facts/characteristics of Sea otters?
- Live in kelp forests on coast
- Use tools
- Eat sea urchins
- Swim on backs
- Re-introduced locally from Alaskan populations because they were extirpated from the 1700's fur trade
38
What are 2 characteristics of River otters?
Run on land
| Swim "right-way up"
39
What is a taxonomic difference between Sea and river otters?
They are not even in the same genus so they are not as closely related as one would expect
40
Which are more closely related? Fishers, martens, minks, wolverines
Martens and Fishers
41
What are the identifying features of a mink?
Live near the sea and have a light throat patch on chin
42
What are the identifying features of a marten?
Live in forests and have a large light coloured "bib" on chest
43
Fishers and wolverines are fierce predators that can hunt what kind of creatures?
Prey on ungulates much larger than themselves
44
What are some identifying features of wolverines?
Aggressive creatures and have a lighter face colour and light banding on sides but it is not as pronounced as striping
45
What is the best way to tell apart skunks and badgers?
Skunks have broad, full stripes of white down back and badgers have distinctive facial markins and stripes and a larger face
46
What is Order Pinnipedia? What else is it often classified as?
The "fin-footed" creatures of the sea and are sometimes classified as a suborder of Carnivora or a Superfamily
47
What is found in the Order Pinnipedia (2 families)?
1) Family Sea lions - eared seals, 3 species
- more adapted to movement on land (front flippers)
2) Family Hair seals - 2 species
48
What are 4 characteristics of Northern/Stellar Sea lions?
- Common in BC waters
- Great sexual dimorphism (males much larger)
- Usually found in groups
- "Warring" noise as opposed to a bark
49
What are 4 characteristics of the California sea lion?
- Found in southern vancouver island and are rare in BC
- Males have a raised forehead
- Smaller than the Northern/Stellar sea lion and sometimes darker in colouration
- Make a "barking" noise
50
What are 2 characteristics of the Northern fur seal?
- Pelagic for 7-10 months of the year
| - Not gregarious except for breeding colonies
51
What is a characteristic of the Family Hair seals?
Not as well adapted to mobility on land and so move labouriously when out of the water
52
What is a defining characteristic of Elephant seals?
Long rostrum (snout)
53
What is Order Cetacea and what are 2 Sub-orders within this order?
The whale order
- Suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales)
- Suborder Odontoceti (toothed)
54
What 3 Families are in the suborder mysticeti?
- Family right whales
- Family Rorquals, ie humpbacks, blue whales
- Family Gray whales
55
What are 4 families in the suborder odontoceti?
- Family dolphins including orcas
- Family porpoises
- Family sperm whales
- Family beaked whales
56
What is a characteristic of suborder mysticeti?
Baleen is present and teeth are absent
57
What is a characteristic of suborder odontoceti?
Teeth present and baleen in absent
58
What is baleen?
Sheet of horn made of keratin with frayed ends and are higher on the inside than the outside
- Strains food from water
59
What is unique about gray whale baleen?
Short coarse baleen that filters mud
60
What is 4 features of baleen?
- Grows down from the gums of the upper jaw
- Baleen is made of keratin and grows continuously
- Outer face of each plate is smooth while the inner edge is frayed
- Frayed edges intertwine to form a mat which functions as a strainer
61
Do Cetaceans have pelvic bones?
Vestigial pelvic bones
| - remnants of life on land
62
Which whales have bumps on snout?
blue whales and humpback
63
What is unique about odontoceti teeth for mammals?
They have more teeth than the ancestral form
64
What kind of teeth does suborder odontoceti have?
Monophyodont - one set
| Homodont - same shape
65
What are blowholes and what organ do they open to?
Blowholes are external nares and open directly to the lungs and the shape can be species specific
66
What is the largest mammal?
the blue whale
- a mysticeti that feeds low on the food chain
- gravity would not allow this animal to evolve this big on land
67
What is the largest of the odontoceti's?
The sperm whale (18m, 40 tons)
68
Why might some whales have an asymmetrical skull?
Echolocation and interpretation direction of sound
69
What are 4 ways to tell mysticeti from odontoceti?
```
Mysticeti have:
- baleen present, no teeth
- paired nasal openings
- symetrical skull
- no echolocation
Odontoceti have:
- Teeth present, no baleen
- single nasal opening
- asymmetrical skull
- echolocation
```
70
What are 3 features of sperm whales?
- deep divers
- enlarged "melon" that acts as an acoustic lens for focusing sonar
- Sought after for oil that could be used as buoyance or sonare or a shock absorber for the animals
71
What are 7 characteristics of gray whales?
- Longest annual migration (11,300km each way)
- shorter, coarser baleen
- feed in benthic zone and stay close to shore
- No dorsal fin
- 6-12 dorsal knobs
- Barnacles on head and back
- mottled gray colour
72
What is the relationship with gray whales and barnacles?
Commensal/ borderline parasitic
| - could cause drag or affect buoyancy of animal
73
What are 5 characteristics of humpback whales?
- very long pectoral fins
- grooves on side expand during feeding
- serrated edge on flukes and patterns can be used in individual identification
- make a "hump" as they dive (hence the name)
- Fluke shows distinctively when diving because of "hump" dive movement
74
What are 2 features of the fin whale?
- has a dorsal fin
| - white on the right side
75
What are 3 characteristics of killer whales (orcas)?
- only whale that regularly feeds on mammals
- travel in family groups of 5-20 (up to 100)
- several distinct populations recognized
76
What are the 4 distinct populations of killer whales?
1) Northern residents - feed mainly on fish
2) Southern residents - feed mainly on fish
3) Transients - prey on marine mammals
4) Offshores - not much known about this group and could feed on fish or mammals
77
What is a major connection between resident orcas and their prey?
The state of wild salmon is causing a decline in the whale populations and they are threatened and endangered because of this
78
What is a major connection between transient orcas and their prey?
They prey on mammals and feed higher on the food chain and so are the most toxic animas due to bioaccumulation of toxins up the food chain
79
What is the size of a female orca dorsal fin?
0.9 - 1.2m and may be slightly curved back
80
What is the size of a male orca dorsal fin?
tallest dorsal fin of any cetacean and is up to 1.8m
81
What can the shapes and patterns of dorsal fins and saddle patches on orcas be used for?
Dorsal fin and saddle patches are unique to every individual and can be used to identify individuals
82
What are 4 behaviors of orcas?
- Spyhopping (get overview of surroundings)
- Breaching (behavior not certain, possibly showing off, playing, rid skin of parasites)
- Lob-tailing (slapping tail)
- Pec-slapping (slapping pectoral fins)
83
How many toes does an artidactylid have?
even number, usually 2
84
How many toes does a perissodactylid have?
uneven/odd number, usually 1 but not always (rhinos have 3)
85
What is an ungulate?
Hoofed animal
86
What 2 families are in the order Artiodactyla (even toes)?
Family Cervidae - deer/ antlered animals
| Family Bovidae - hollow-horned ruminants
87
What are 4 introduced species of Artiodactylids?
European fallow deer, cattle, goats, sheep
88
What family of ungulates have true horns?
Bovids - sheep, cattle, pronghorn antelope
89
What is a true horn made of?
Keratin sheath permanently attached to a live bone core that is an extension of the frontal sinus and has a nerve and blood supply
90
What are 3 features of true horns?
- continuous with skull
- they are not shed or branched (few exceptions) and grow continuously
- in males and females
91
What animal in the bovid family is the exception to the general rules of horns?
Pronghorn antelopes have branched horns where the keratin sheath is shed annually
- between a horn and an antler
92
What family has antlers?
Cervids - deer
93
What are 4 (6) features of antlers?
1) Solid bone that is mostly dead tissue when mature and is covered in velvet (skin with blood and nerve supply) when growing
2) seasonally attached to a bony base on the skull called a pedicel
3) branched and shed after the breeding season and re-grown each year
4) Usually only in males except caribou
94
Wha are 3 characteristics of European fallow deer?
- Palmate (scoop-shaped) antlers
- Spotted adult coats
- Heart shaped rump pattern
95
What kind of antlers do moose have?
Palmate
96
What is the dulap on moose?
Dangling skin below the chin that has an unknown function that may relate to courtship
97
What is a major difference between elk and caribou?
Elk have dark necks and pointy antlers
| Caribou have light necks and palmate antlers
98
What is the 2nd largest cervid in BC?
Elk
99
What are 2 other names for the mule deer?
Black-tailed deer or Sitka deer
100
What are the main differences between black and white tailed deer?
The antlers:
- Black tailed antlers are bifercated and have a major fork
- White tailed antlers have one main branch
The Tail:
- Black tailed are have a narrow black-tipped tail and it looks more white until it is lifted
- White tailed have a broad white fringed tail that is all white when lifted
101
What kind of perissodactylid do we have in BC? Give a few specific characteristics?
Wild ferral horses in the central interior
- integrated into ecosystem
- been here longer than the 1st european settlers
