Carnivores 



One tooth in each jaw is peculiarly large and modified for 

 this purpose and has been named the " carnassial-tooth " or 

 "flesh-tooth." 



The feet of the carnivores are moderate and never elongated, 

 as in the hoofed animals, and are provided with sharp claws; 

 these are frequently "retractile," that is capable of being with- 

 drawn into folds of the skin and thus protected from wear and 

 tear while the animal is walking. The carnivores are said to 

 be plantigrade or digitigrade, according to whether the whole 

 foot touches the ground when walking, as in the bears, or only 

 the tips of the toes, as in the cats. 



The families found in eastern North America are as follows: 



I. Feet modified into flippers, suborder Pinnipedia 



I. Eared Seals. Family Otariidce. Hind flippers capable of 

 being turned forward for walking when on land, head 

 seal-like, ears small, but well developed. 



II. Walruses. Family Odobceiiida\ Hind flippers used in walk- 



ing as in the last. Body enormous and unwieldy, no 

 external ears, upper canine teeth immensely elongated 

 into long down-pointing tusks. 



III. Seals. Family Phocido'. Hind flippers directed backward 



and only capable of use for swimming, no external ear 

 and no tusks. 



II. Feet not modified into flippers, suborder Fissipedia 

 A. Toes, five on all feet 



IV. Weasels, Otters, etc. Family Mustelidce. Size generally 



small and shape slender, with long tail (except the 



wolverine and badger). Tail sometimes tipped with 



black, but never annulated. 

 V. Raccoons, etc. Family Procyonidcr. Size medium, tail 



long, generally bushy and annulated, black and white 



for its whole length. 

 VI. Bears. Family Ursidce. Size large, tail very short, uniform 



in colour with the back. 



B. Toes, five on the fore feet, but four on the hind feet 



VII. Wolves and Foxes. Family Canidce. Toes not retractile. 



VIII. Cats. Family Felidce. Toes retractile. 



*o8 



