638 The Animal Kingdom 



Also included among the tooth whales are the dolphins which are 

 often seen sporting about in harbors. The ferocious killer whales are 

 also in this group. 



Order Carnivora. — Primarily the members of this order are flesh 

 eaters; only a few such as the bears and raccoons have secondarily 

 changed their habits to omnivercus ones. The chief adjustment of the 

 members of this order to the meat-eating habit are evident in the pow- 

 erful jaws which are supplied with heavy muscles and in the develop- 

 ment of the canine teeth for tearing. 



In size, the carnivores vary from the small least weasel of about 

 6 inches in length to the enormous brown Alaskan bears which may 

 weigh 1,500 pounds. 



Included in this order are many of the important fur bearers. 

 Among these are the minks, ermine, foxes, wolverine, otters, bears, 

 skunks, and others. Unfortunately many of the carnivores have been 

 unjustly accused of destroying large numbers of domestic animals, 

 and as a result have been deliberately destroyed. Inasmuch as the 

 chief diet of most of these carnivores is the small rodents, this accusa- 

 tion is unfair. An animal such as the weasel may only rarely raid a 

 henhouse, but it is always consuming large numbers of potentially more 

 harmful mice. Analysis of the stomachs of red foxes revealed that 

 their food consisted almost entirely of rodents, rabbits, and shrews. 

 The wolves and coyotes also perform useful services in keeping rodent 

 populations under control. 



The bears which are also of some importance as fur bearers have 

 changed from a strictly meat diet to an omniverous one. Along with 

 this change of diet, they have developed molar teeth suitable for chew- 

 ing rather than just for cutting. 



Perhaps the most varied of the carnivores are the cats. These 

 include the small lynx and bobcat as well as the large cougars, pumas, 

 jaguars, and the Old World tigers, lions, and leopards. Numerous 

 other species of cats occur throughout the world. 



A special group of carnivores, the Pinnipedia, are adapted to an 

 aquatic life. These adaptations include limbs modified into flippers, 

 streamlined bodies, and reduced external ears. In this group are the 

 numerous seals, sea lions, and the walrus. 



Order Tubulideiitata. — The only member of this order is the 

 peculiar aardvark or earth pig of South Africa. The aardvark has a 



