628 



TEXTBOOK OF ZOOLOGY 



an adaptation to tlieir feeding habits. The suborder Fissipedia in- 

 cludes the terrestrial carnivores with walking feet, while a second 

 suborder Pinnipedia includes the aquatic carnivores with swimming 

 feet. 



There is a large group of common mammals that belong to the first 

 suborder. The fishers, martens, minks, weasels, ferrets, otters, 

 skunks, and badgers constitute a group of very blood-thirsty killers. 

 The skunks of genus Mephitis are quite common and are well known 

 because of their conspicuous white stripes on black fur background 

 and powerful scent glands. Besides the striped forms there are the 

 smaller, spotted forms. The badger, Taxidea taxus, extends down 

 the plains, and there meets the Mexican variety coming up from the 

 south. It is heavy-set and has short legs with long, sharp, strong 

 claws. It can dig almost as fast as a man with a spade and usually 

 comes out winner in a fight with any dog. It is strictly nocturnal 

 and lives in a burrow. 



Fig. 341. — The badger, Taxidea taxus. 



In the family Canidae there are besides the domestic dog, the fox, 

 the coyote, and the wolves. The red fox, Vulpes fulva, is a common 

 form through the North and East, and has been introduced into the 

 Southwest by sportsmen who enjoy fox-hunting. It is a cunning 

 animal and quite difficult to catch or trap. It digs burrows or builds 

 dens in rocky hillsides where the young are raised. The chosen food 

 of the fox includes mice, insects, wild birds, and occasional poultry. 

 Besides the red fox there are the gray fox, the kite fox, and the 

 Arctic fox. The coyote, Cayiis latrans, is somewhat larger than the 

 foxes and is quite crafty. It has managed to keep up its numbers in 

 spite of persistent control measures, such as poisoning, trapping, and 

 hunting. It lives in dens and among the rocks and feeds largely on 



