SPECIES OF MAMMALS OF THE PACIFIC AREA 79 



Billiton, Borneo, the southern Philippines, and Celebes. 

 Throughout this territory their appearance is sufficiently dif- 

 ferent to lead to the description of a number of species and 

 subspecies. The tarsier is nocturnal, as its large eyes indicate. 

 It lives among brush, trees, and bamboos, and moves by a series 

 of leaps ; it can jump long distances. 



Flesh-eaters. Order Carnivora 



The teeth of carnivores or flesh-eating mammals are generally 

 modified for a flesh diet; the strong prominent canines and 

 cheek-teeth are adapted for rending and cutting rather than 

 grinding food. In certain members of the order which feed 

 chiefly on vegetable matter the molars are broader and are 

 used for crushing. The toes have claws. This order includes 

 the bears, martens, weasels, badgers, otters, dogs, wolves, foxes, 

 civets, mongooses, and cats. 



Bears. Family Ursid^ 



The bears are large, heavily built carnivores with molar teeth 

 broad, flattened, and suitable for crushing rather than cutting 

 — in contrast to the case of the cat. They have short tails and 

 plantigrade feet ; that is to say, they walk on the soles. They 

 are among the least carnivorous of the flesh-eating mammals, 

 for much of their food consists of roots, fruits, and other vege- 

 table matter. 



The Eurasian Brown Bear (JJrsus arctos), which had a very 

 extensive range, is still found in suitable localities in Europe 

 and Asia. On account of this wide distribution the color and 

 size varies to such an extent that this bear has been divided 

 into numerous subspecies. Its color may range from light brown 

 to black. One of the darker forms (lasiotus) is found on Hok- 

 kaido Island, Japan, the Kurile Islands, and Sakhalin, 



The Peninsula Giant Bear (JJrsus gyas) belongs to the 

 group known as the Alaskan brown bears, closely related to the 



