Animalia | Chordata | Vertebrata | Mammalia | Carnivora
An order of Mammals who eat flesh, possess and enlarged first lower molar and fourth upper premolar, and heightened senses. They are typically terrestrial or climbing animals; however, three families of Carnivora are primarily sea-dwelling. (NOTE: some biologists consider the sea-dwelling familes of Carnivora to belong to the separate order Pinnipedia).
Families in Carnivora:
Canidae: foxes, dogs, wolves
Mustelidae: minks, weasels, badgers, otters, skunks
Procyonidae: raccoons, kinkajous, red panda
Ursidae: bears, greater panda
Otoriidae: sealions
Odobenidae: walrus
Phocidae: seals
Viverridae: civits, genets, mongoose
Hyaenidae: hyaenas, aardwolf
Felidae: cats
Back to the Phylogenetic Taxonomy of Life