 |
 Coyote (Canis
latrans) The
coyote can be distinguished from other members of
the dog family by the way it carries its bushy
tail, downward (domestic dogs run with the tail
up, wolves with the tail straight out). Found
throughout most of North and Central America, the
coyote is found in a variety of habitats,
including densely populated urban area. |
 African
Hunting Dog (Lycaon pictus)
African hunting dogs, also known as Cape Hunting
Dogs, are very social animal. Interactions
between individual pack members are almost
harmonious, and disputes between neighboring
packs have never been witnessed. |
 Cheetah (Acinonyx
jubatus) A cheetah can reach a speed of 70 mph,
but only over a short distance. After a few
hundred yards it gives up, so although a cheetah
will outclass a human athlete in the 200-meter
sprint, it is unlikely to complete the course in
the 1,500-meter event. |
 Ocelot (Leopardus
pardalis) The ocelot is a medium-sized member of
the "big cats family," being up to 4
feet long, with a 15-inch tail, and weighing up
to 35 pounds. The name ocelot is from
the Mexican word tlatocelotl, meaning
field-tiger. |
 Bobcat (Lynx
rufus) The trails used by bobcats can be
traced, not only by footprints but also by
scratches on tree trunks where the bobcats have
stretched and sharpened their claws. |
 Leopard (Panthera
pardus) A shy
and wary animal, the leopard is so well
camouflaged that it can easily go undetected,
even when living around human populations. An excellent tree climber, it is not
uncommon for a leopard to lurk in a tree and wait
for unsuspecting prey to walk by. |
 The
Cougar (Puma
concolor) is listed in the Guinness Book of World
Records as being the animal with the most common
names of any animal, with more than 40 different
names in the English language alone. Virtually
every specific geographic region in which cougars
are found has its own name for this wild cat, but
cougar, panther and mountain lion are the most
common names. |
 Aardwolf (Proteles
cristatus) This member of the hyaena family differs
from the true hyaenas in having five instead of
four toes on the front feet, relatively larger
ears, and a narrower muzzle. |
 Tayra (Eira
barbara) This member of the weasel family grows
to a length of about 30 inches, not counting a
long, bushy tail that can be almost as long as
the body. It is native to the neotropical
deciduous and evergreen forests of Central and
South America and the island of Trinidad. |
 Wolverine
(Gulo gulo)
A wolverine is quite capable of
bringing down prey up to five times larger than
itself, and will go after just about anything
from rodents to full-sized deer. Extremely strong
and aggressive for their size, wolverines are
also known to drive larger carnivores away from
their kills and help themselves to a free meal. |
 Sable (Martes
zibellina) Sable fur has been used by man since
prehistoric times. By the Middle Ages the
traditional range of the sable had been greatly
reduced, and sable fur became so expensive that
it was only available to royalty and the very
rich. |
 Eurasian Badger (Meles
meles) This
badger lives in clans of up to 20 or so
individuals, with all individuals in a clan being
closely related. Clans live in large underground
catacombs called setts, which are inherited from
parents and can be centuries old. |
 American
Badger (Taxidea taxus)
The American badger is a solitary
animal. Individual badgers establish home ranges,
but they are not territorial. It is distinguished
from other badgers by having a white stripe from
the nose, along the top of the head, and over the
back. |
 Steller
Sea Lion (Zalophus
californianus)
Also known as the California sea lion, Galapagos
sea lion, and/or Japanese sea lion, this species
tends to inhabit areas which have undergone human
intervention. |
 Hooded
Seal (Cystophora cristata) This seal gets its common name from an
enlargement of the nasal cavity in males that
resembles a hood. That "hood" can be
inflated like a balloon to become as large as the
seal's head. When not inflated, the
"hood" hangs down over the upper lip. |
 Harbor Seal (Phoca
vitulino) Harbor seals inhabit the temperate,
subarctic, and arctic waters of the North
Atlantic and Pacific coasts. One subspecies, the
Ungava, is the only known harbor seal to live in
freshwater year round. |
 Kinkajou (Potos
flavus) The
kinkajou is quite at home in the trees, is
primarily nocturnal, and solitary. It inhabits
the tropical rainforests from Mexico through
Central America into central South America. |
 Black Bear (Ursus
americanus) Although considered omnivorous, black
bears prefer a more vegetarian diet of fruits,
grasses, nuts, seeds, and honey. Most meat is
consumed in the form of insects that happen to be
on the vegetation they are eating, although they
will occasionally consume carrion. |
 Brown Bear (Ursus
arctos) Also
known as the grizzly bear, the brown bear is the
largest of all living carnivores. An adult may be
up to 9 feet long and weigh up to 1,650 pounds. |
 African
Civet (Civettictis civetta) Looking somewhat like a cross between a
cat, a raccoon, and a weasel, the African civet
has many distinguishing features, including large
hindquarters, low-head stance, and short mane. |
