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Carnivora

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Portraits of various carnivorous animals like lions, wolves, and bears for learning about wildlife.

Carnivora: The Meat-Eating Mammals

Carnivora is a big group of mammals, often called carnivorans. Most of them eat meat. There are at least 279 different species of carnivorans. They live all around the world, from cold places to deserts and even in the oceans. Carnivorans come in many shapes and sizes, each with their own special way of living.

Carnivorans are split into two main groups. One group is called Feliformia. This group includes true cats and other cat-like animals such as hyenas and mongooses. Most of these animals live in Europe, Asia, and Africa, but cats also live in the Americas. They crossed over through the Bering land bridge. The other group is called Caniformia. This group includes true dogs, bears, raccoons, skunks, and seals, among others. These animals are found everywhere and look, eat, and behave in many different ways.

The word Carnivora comes from old Latin words. One word, carō (with the stem carn-), means "flesh." The other word, vorāre, means "to devour." Together, they name these meat-eating animals.

Carnivorans are meat-eating mammals with ancient origins. Their earliest known ancestors appeared in North America 6 million years after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. These early animals looked like small weasels or genets and lived quietly at night in forests or trees.

Carnivorans have strong teeth, including big teeth called canines, and usually three small teeth called incisors on each side of their jaws. Their skulls are strong with a special bone arch and often a bump on top. Most have their eyes at the front of their faces. The shape of their faces and number of teeth can vary; for example, dogs have longer faces with more teeth, while cats have shorter faces with fewer teeth.

Carnivorans are very important to humans. The dog was the first animal to be domesticated by people. For thousands of years, people have bred dogs for many different jobs, and today there are many types of dogs. The cat is another animal that lives with humans.

Many other carnivorans are famous and loved by people. Some cultures see animals like the lion as symbols of power. However, some carnivorans such as wolves and big cats have faced hard times because of changes in their homes.

Images

A spotted hyena at Chhatbir Zoo in India.
Artist's reconstruction of Tapocyon robustus, an ancient mammal from the past.
A curious African Palm-civet climbing in its natural habitat.
A beautiful black tortoiseshell tabby cat standing on snow, looking back.
A Prionodon linsang, a small wild cat species, captured in its natural habitat at night.
A Large Indian Civet in Kaeng Krachan National Park, showing this nocturnal mammal in its natural environment.
An Egyptian mongoose looking directly at the camera in Ma'agan Michael, Israel.
A preserved specimen of Eupleres goudotii on display at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Genoa, Italy.
A friendly Carolina Dog named Sheila, also known as an American Dingo or Dixie Dingo.
A majestic Kamchatka Brown Bear in its natural environment near Dvuhyurtochnoe Lake.
Walruses resting on a beach in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.
A male and female South American sea lions resting together.
A white harbor seal resting on moss in its natural habitat.

Related articles

Species
Europe
Africa
Americas
Latin
North America

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Carnivora, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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