Order CarnivoraFamily Canidae• Large canines

• No diastema• Body size large (TL >

68 cm)• Claws not retractile• Face not flat (except

for some C. familiaris breeds)

• Long legsVulpes vulpes

Canis latransCoyote

Sara Eubanks

Canis latrans• Identification

Smallest of New World wild canis, larger than any foxDorsal color variable but grayish- brown to grayish buffVenter palerTL: 1050-1350, tail:290-390; HF:180-210; ear:95-120; weight: 9-20 kgMales larger, heavier than females

www.lioncrusher.com/images/coyote.jpg

Canis latrans• Distribution

Widely throughout U.S. All of southern, south-central

CanadaSouth through Mexico

into northern central

Americawww.lioncrusher.com

Canis latrans• Habitat

Very adaptableUtilize wide range of habitats: forests,

woodlots, clear cuts, farmsPrefer habitats not containing wolves

http://www.acapixus.dk/galleri/images_html/KOL9974_dk.htm

Canis latrans

• Diet Opportunistic

predator

Mammalian flesh

90% of diet

Eats rodents, rabbits, deer, carrion, livestock, lizards, amphibians, berries, fruit

http://www.stockpix.com/stock/animals/mammals/predatorymammals/coyotes/2461s2.jpg

Canis latrans• Reproduction

Mating lasts 3 months

January-March

Females may mate with

more than one male

Female chooses mate,

may remain with for couple of years but not life

Gestation 60-63 dayshttp://www.canis.info/caniden/

derkojote.htm

Canis latrans

• Reproduction cont.Litter size: 1-19; average 6

Mom and dad feed pups by regurgitating food

Young born blind, limp-eared, pug nosed

Eyes open 10 days

Females remain with parents, males leave

Reach sexual maturity at 1 year

Canis latrans

• Conservation StatusNo special

status at

this time

http://www.azuswebworks.com/

html/2coyotes.htm

Canis latrans

• Other

Reservoir host of rabies

Pelts used for coats

Pelts sell for up to $17

More likely a daytime predator, more nocturnal

Canis latrans

• OtherHigher-pitched howls

than wolves with more

yelps

http://www.stockpix.com/stock/animals/mammals/predatorymammals/

coyotes/803.htm

Canis latrans• References

Coyote (Canis latrans). Accessed October 13, 2004 at

http://www.canids.org/SPPACCTS/coyote.htm.

Kays, R.W. and D.E. Wilson. 2002. The Mammals of North America. Princeton University press, Princeton, New Jersey.

Jones, J.K. and E.C. Birney. 1988. Handbook of Mammals of the North-central States. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.

Tokar, E. 2001. "Canis latrans" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 13, 2004 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_latrans.html.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc72/Dynamite7734/wolves.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.myspace.com/wolves_night_out&usg=__8MDyZha0vKwBuRHW6rfUC1wfYek=&h=426&w=403&sz=34&hl=en&start=94&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Qd45UJtrGxn5_M:&tbnh=126&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwolves%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D80%26um%3D1%26ie%3DUTF-8

Types of Wolves

• Gray Wolf• Timber wolf• Red wolf• Arctic wolf

Wolf colors & coats• Wolves range from all shades

of gray, tan, and brown to pure white or solid black.

• 32% of wolves were black.• Most wolves in north

America are a grizzled gray color.

• Wolves depend upon their thick coat for warmth in the northern portions of their range.

Wolf grooming

• It is not surprising that Wolves spend part of their leisure time in grooming behavior.

• It is likely that the grooming of other pack members help reinforce the social bonds that tie the pack together.

• Two wolves will each other’s coat’s, nibbling gently with their teeth to remove foreign matter.

• Reciprocal grooming is especially common during courtship.

• Injured wolves are intensely groomed by other pack members, providing both physical and mental comfort.

Wolf tracks

• The large feet of the wolf act as snowshoes in the winter.

• Wolf tracks are very similar to those of a domestic dog, consisting of four pad prints plus claw marks.

Wolf diseases

• Wolves are susceptible to more that 100 diseases and parasites, including various protozoa, roundworms, heartworms, tapeworms, flatworms, mange, mites, ticks, fleas, distemper, cataracts, oral papillomatosis, tularemia, trichinosis, bovine tuberculosis, encephalitis, arthritis, brucellosis, cancers, rickets, pneumonia, Lyme disease, parvovirus, rabies, and many other ailments.

Wolf sense of smell

• The wolf’s keen sense of smell allows it to track many types of game.

• A wolf’s sense of smell may be 100 times more accurate than a human’s.

Wolf sense of hearing

• Wolves may be able to hear up to 10 miles away.

• Next to smell, the sense of hearing is the most acute of the wolf senses.

• Next to smell, the sense of hearing is the most important sense of the wolf.

Wolf mouth

• Wolves have a total of 42 teeth 10 more than humans.

• The jaw of the wolf has a crushing power of 1,500 pounds per square inch.

Lone wolves

• Lone wolves usually comprise less that 15% of a total wolf population.

• When individual pack members die, lone wolves sometimes move in to fill the gap.

• Lone wolves tend to cover a large territory in their search for food or a mate and travel longest distances when they are cast out.

Wolf pack size

• A wolf pack can range from under 10 wolves to over 50 wolves.

• Extra – large packs may provide improved hunting efficiency when game is scarce or may alternatively be a response to abundant prey.

Wolf pack ranks

• Alpha – Leader• Beta – assistant leader• Other- hunters, pup

sitters• Omega – lowest ranking

wolf

The leader of a wolf pack

• The leader of a wolf pack is called the alpha.

• There are 2 leaders in the pack, the alpha male and alpha female.

• The alpha male and the alpha female in a wolf pack are the head of the social hierarchy of a wolf pack.

Wolf sleeping

• The Wolf curls up, sleep for 5-10 minutes, and wake up again.

• They turn around a few times, making sure to see what's happening, before they curl up again, and go back to sleep for another 5-10 minutes.

• Almost half a wolf’s time is spent sleeping

Mates in a wolf pack

• The alpha male and female are not the only pair in the pack that mates but mostly it is the alpha’s that mate.

• Domesticated dogs can also mate with a wolf but rare to see.

The wolf den

• Shortly before giving birth, a pregnant female will seek out a den to protect the young pups.

• Dens can be a deep riverbank hollow, a cleft between rocks, a hollow log, a space under uprooted tree roots, or a space under a rock overhang.

• Some female wolves reuse previous dens.

Wolf litter size

• A wolf litter size averages between 5 – 6 pups.

• Some litters can be between 1-11pups

Dangers to wolf pups

• Wolf pups are preyed upon by a wide variety of predators, including bears, cougars, and other wolves.

• Hunters are also a danger to many wolf pups.

Wolves hunting part 1• Wolves detect prey by three

primary means:– Scent (most common)– Tracking– Chance encounters

• After prey is detected, wolves may split up to search though brush, travel on ridge tops searching for the prey below, or test herds looking for signs of weakness.

• It has long been recognized that wolves often take advantage of weak individuals in a herd.

Wolves hunting part 2• Weakened animals may show their

conditions to predators through– Body stance– Uncoordinated body movement– The smell of wounds or infection– Some other tangible signal

• Once a weak individual is selected by the pack, it is brought down after a chase.

• While a majority of the pack rests, one or two members test the prey for signs of fatigue.

• When the attack comes, the prey is usually seized by either the nose or the rump.

• The actual death of the prey is usually caused by massive blood loss, shock, or both

• Sometimes with smaller prey a neck bite will snap the backbone.

• Wolves usually begin to feed on the rump if it was exposed during the chase, or else on the internal organs.

• The muscle and flesh is the last portion of the prey that is eaten, in contrast to human eating habits.

Prey of the wolf

• Moose, mice, deer, elk, caribou, beaver, hare, buffalo, birds, sheep, Ground squirrel, goat, saiga and Tibetan antelope, yak, urial, argali, Tibetan gazelle, camel, Ibex, Chamois, wild horse, wild boar, porcupine, rabbit, gopher, shrew, mole, rat, raccoon, muskrat, woodchuck, marmot, insects, nuts, berries, fruits, shellfish, earthworms, carrion, and human garbage.

The old wolf habitat

• The old wolf habitat had included the high arctic, tundra, taiga, forests, plains, deserts, and virtually every ecological niche that provided sufficient food for it’s existence.

• The tropical jungle appear to be the only ecological niche not inhabited by wolves.

The size of a wolf territory

• The average size of a wolf territory is 223.88 square miles.

The current wolf habitat

• Currently, the majority of wolves inhabit the most forested, rugged, and remote regions of the Northern Hemisphere, pushed there by the spread of their most deadly enemy, MAN!!!

Wolf as a pet

• One of the most serious problems faced by humane societies across North America is that of exotic pets.

• Many pet wolves end up in small backyard pens far too small for their needs.

Wolf – dog hybrid

• Crossing a dog and a wolf undoes 12,000 years of domestication.

• The most common wolf – dog hybrid crosses are those resulting from the breeding of wolves with Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, or German Shepherds.

• Over 200,000 wolf – dog hybrids are kept as pets across the United States.

Wolf Communications

• Vocal Expressions such as Howling, barking, growling.

• Scent marking• Tail positions

The Wolf howl• The howl is used to notify other pack members

or other packs of their whereabouts, or to reassemble a scattered pack.

• To attract a mate.• To stimulate and rally the pack before the hunt.• To startle prey and cause it to come out of

hiding.• When disturbed, but not sufficiently alarmed to

run away.• Upon awakening.• After intense sessions of play or presence of an

intruder.• When stressed; lonesome wolf pups often howl

their distress.• The wolf howl can be heard from 10 miles in

the winter.• Wolf pups learn to howl by imitates the older

wolves in the pack.• Wolf howls help maintain contact among

wolves in thick woods.• The howl of a wolf is the voice of the

wilderness.

Wolf fun facts

• Science term for wolves - Canis Lupus

• Population size in the United States is 9,000 wolves but they are still endangered.

Wolves in games

• The legend of Zelda Twilight Princess

• Wolf Quest• Okamiden• Etc

Wolves in movies TV shows

• White Fang• Wolf’s Rain• Alpha and Omega• Etc

Wolf websites

• Wolf song of Alaska• Wolf hollow• Etc

Wolf documentaries• Living with wolves• Growing up wilderness• Champions of the wild• Etc

Wolf sanctuaries

• Wolf hollow• Wolf song of Alaska• White wolf sanctuary• Wolf haven

international• Etc

The DogCanis familiaris

Katie Yahr

Canis familiaris

Identification

• What makes a dog a dog? -Basic morphology similar to Canis lupis

• Anal glands

• Many different breedswww.thewildones.org

Distribution/ Habitat

Canis familiaris

• Worldwide in a variety of habitats (especially under your feet or on the couch)

•Most commonly found in association with humans

Diet• Dog food

• Whatever they can reach on the counter

• Feral dogs- negative impact on ecosystems

Canis familiaris

Reproduction

Canis familiaris

• Sexually mature at 6-12 months• Gestation 9 weeks• Average of 3-9 puppies in a litter•Altricial young• In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs!

Conservation Status

• Overpopulated!

• Management of feral populations

• Be a responsible dog owner!

Canis familiaris

news.nationalgeographic.com

References

• http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/rhgiles/speciesssm/wdogs.htm

• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0821_030821_straydogs.html

• http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_lupus_familiaris.html

• http://www.petplace.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=1144

• www.hsus.org• www.aspca.org

Canis familiaris

Red Fox(Vulpes Vulpes)

By: Brad Froeschle

www.floodlightfindings.com

Identification

• This small, doglike animal is rusty-red with white underbelly, chin and throat. The ears are prominent and the tail is long and bushy with a white tip. Backs of the ears, lower legs and the feet are black. The fox goes through color phases of black, silver, and mixed.

• Dental Formula: 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 2/3

• The eyes of adults are yellow.

• Red foxes have tail glands.

• Between 5 and 15lbs and the length is between 32 and 45 inches.

www.flloodfindings.com

Red Fox Diet/Distribution

• The red fox is an omnivore. It generally eats mice, rats, other rodents, rabbits, squirrels, insects, and fruit.

• Mostly the red fox likes to eat mice.

• It is also famous for getting into farmers chicken houses and preying on farm chickens.

• The daily consumption consists between .5 and 1Kg a day.

• Red Foxes are found throughout Iowa.

• Habitats include forests, prairies, farmlands.

www.floodfindings.com

Reproduction

• The breeding season is between December and March.

• Sexual Maturity is reached around 10 months of age.

• Gestation is on average 52 days.

• Foxes have between 1 and 13 Kits. (avg. 5)

• Born blind but open eyes after 9 to 14 days.

• They are weaned between 8 and 10 weeks.

Conservation Status/Etc.

• The red fox is not considered an endangered species in Iowa.

• Foxes use a variety of vocal calls to communicate between each other.

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Chordata

• Subphylum: Vertebrata

• Class: Mammalia

• Order: Carnivora

• Family: Canidae

• Genus: Vulpes

• Species: Vulpes vulpes

www.floodfindings.com

References

• Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Iowa’s threatened and endangered species. Available at http://www.state.ia.us/dnr/organiza/ppd/tespecies.htm. October 2004.

• Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.

• Iowa Association of Naturalists. Iowa Mammals. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN601.pdf. October 2004.

Urocyon cinereoargenteusCommon name: Gray Fox

Presented by Catherine Luria

http://members.tripod.com/~wildlifehaven/greyfox1.jpg

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

• Order Carnivora

– Family Canidae

• Genus Urocyon

–Species Urocyon cinereoargenteus

http://www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/data/sppphotos/mammals/greyfox.jpg

Identification

• TL: 80-113 cm

• Tail: 27-43 cm

• Ear: 7-8 cm

• Hind foot: 12.5-14.5 cm

• Weight: 3-7 kg

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

http://www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/data/sppphotos/mammals/greyfox.jpg

• Dorsum grizzled and gray• Sides and limbs

cinnamon to orange• Underside tan to whitish• Black, white, and rufous markings on the face and

neck• Dark stripe runs down back onto black-tipped tail

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Identification

http://www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/data/sppphotos/mammals/greyfox.jpg

Distribution

• Ranges from SE Canada to northern S. America

• Found throughout central and eastern US, as well as along Pacific coast and in the southwest

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

http://www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/data/sppphotos/mammals/greyfox.jpg

Habitat

• Wooded or brushy riparian habitats

• Favors edge habitats• Home range is estimated to

be 254-336 acres• Density in good habitat is

2-3 per sq. mile• Quite territorial

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

http://www.foxes.org/urbanfox/grey1.jpg

• Dens in hollow logs and trees, crevices in rocks, caves, piles of brush or wood, abandoned buildings, underground burrows

• Used year round, but especially during whelping season

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Habitat

http://www.foxes.org/urbanfox/grey1.jpg

• Underground den may be up to 75 feet long

• Up to 10 exits• Numerous side chambers for

food storage and whelping• Mother moves pups to new

chamber as old chamber becomes soiled

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Habitat

http://www.foxes.org/urbanfox/grey1.jpg

Diet

• Most omnivorous of foxes

• Feed on small mammals and birds, carrion, invertebrates, fruit, and corn

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

http://www.foxes.org/urbanfox/grey1.jpg

Reproduction

• Mate in December through April

• Gestation is 62 days• Bear litters of 1-7 “kits” (average of 4)• Kits are born with eyes closed, covered in

black fur• Are able to eat solid foods by 6 weeks and

forage by 4 months

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Catherine Luria, 2004

Conservation Status• No special conservation status

• Classed as a furbearer

• Regulated hunting and trapping season

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

http://www.floodlight-findings.com/2redfox/grayfox.html

Other

• Only member of dog family to climb trees

• Rabies vector

http://www.floodlight-findings.com/2redfox/grayfox.html

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

ReferencesDesert USA. The Gray Fox. Available at

http://www.desertusa.com/nov96/du_gfox.html. October 2004.

Jones, J. Knox, Jr. and Elmer C. Birney. 1988. Handbook of Mammals of the North-Central States. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.

Kays, Roland W. and Don E. Wilson. 2002. Mammals of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Available at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snapshots/mammals/grayfox.html. October 2004.

The Cyber Zoomobile. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Available at http://home.globalcrossing.net/~brendel/fox.html. October 2004.

Order CarnivoraFamily Procyonidae• Large canines

• No diastema• Claws not retractile• Bushy, ringed tail

Procyon lotor

Procyon lotorRaccoon

BY:

TAMI WETTERLIND

DescriptionProcyon lotor

• The mask extends across the cheeks, eyes and nose.

• There is also pale grey bars above and below the large eyes to complete the "mask" affect.

• The raccoon has a long fine coat and a busy tail with 4 to 7 prominent dark rings.

• The general color is a grizzled gray to a blackish color, with the sides greyer than the back.

• The nape of the neck can be a rusty color and the under-parts brownish with a whitish wash.

• The ears are edged with white or grayish hairs.

IdentificationProcyon lotor

• Males: • 63-95 cm • 20-40 cm

• Females:• 60-91 cm • 19-34 cm • 4-15.8 kg

• Forepaws are dexterous. The hind foot makes a print in which the toes and heel pad are joined whereas the front tracks toe and heel pad have a brief space between.

• www.fishbc.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/raccoon.htm (larger picture.) www2.biology.ualberta.ca/uamz.hp/coon.html (smaller picture)

DistributionProcyon lotor

• This animal is native to the southern part of the Canadian provinces and most of the United States.

• It is most common along stream edges, open forests and coastal marshes.

• It is abundant throughout all of Iowa.

• (picture from clipart)

HabitatProcyon lotor

• Inhabits hollow trees and logs for homes and often use the ground burrows of other animals for raising their young or for sleeping during the coldest part of the winter months

• Also den near water, rock cavities, or any other crevice that will provide some protection

• (picture from The Raccoon Gallery)

DietProcyon lotor

• Omnivore, will eat almost anything edible including fruits, insects, frogs, fish, small mammals and birds, including their eggs, crayfish, turtles, berries, corn, meadow voles, and mice.

• The raccoon uses its forepaws and its great manual dexterity to manipulate even the most complex food sources, including garbage cans, into its diet.

• Picture from The Raccoon Gallery)

ReproductionProcyon lotor

• one litter a year• from 1 to 7 but usually 3 or 4

offspring. • The young are born in the

summer (April-May)• stay with the mother during the

winter until the next summer. • The male raccoon provides no

parental care and will be aggressively chased from the den area by the female.

• (Picture from The Raccoon Gallery)

Conservation Status and ImportanceProcyon lotor

• Abundant throughout all of Iowa.

• Economically important for fur trade.

• Predators: great horned owl and mammals such as bobcats, foxes, coyotes, or fishers.

• (Picture from Managing Iowa Wildlife)

DiseaseProcyon lotor

• Rabies can be transmitted to humans or their pets from raccoons.

• Incidence of rabies in animals is low in the Midwest.

• Raccoon roundworm (Baylisascris) has potential exposure to trappers and hunters who might accidentally touch feces.

Fun FactsProcyon lotor

• Mainly nocturnal

• Meaning of name:Procyon (pro = before + cyon = dog)lotor (washer)=little washing dog.

• There are 26 separate subspecies of the raccoon, but only one is found in the Midwestern states.

• (Picture from The Raccoon Gallery)

ReferencesProcyon lotor

• Kays, R.W. and D.E. Wilson. 2002. The Mammals of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Pp 172.

• Managing Iowa Wildlife. Available at: www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1302E.pdf, 1995.

• Raccoon Procyon lotor. Available at: www.fishbc.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/raccoon.htm, 2004.

• Raccoon. Procyon lotor. Available at: www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/racoon.htm, 2004.

• The Raccoon at the University of Alberta Museum of Zoology. Available at: www2.biology.ualberta.ca/uamz.hp/coon.html, 2001.

• The Raccoon Gallery. Available at: www.loomcom.com/raccoons/gallery/, 2004