Carnivora
Sign in to saveCarnivora ( ) is an order of placental mammals specialised primarily in eating flesh, whose members are formally referred to as carnivorans. The order Carnivora is the sixth largest order of mammals, comprising at least 279 species. Carnivorans are found on every major landmass and in a variety of habitats, ranging from the cold polar regions of Earth to the hyper-arid region of the Sahara Desert and the open seas. Carnivorans exhibit a wide array of body plans, varying greatly in size and shape.
AI overview
Carnivora is an order of meat-eating mammals that includes at least 279 species, making it the sixth largest group of mammals, and its members are found across nearly every environment on Earth, from polar regions to deserts to oceans. These carnivorans are important to understand because they display remarkable diversity in size, shape, and habitat, revealing how one specialized diet strategy has evolved into many different forms of life across the planet.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Subclass of
- carnivore
- Parent taxon
- Laurasiatheria
- Image
- Carnivora.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- P105
- order
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Phylogeny
- Systematics
- Evolution
- Classification of the extant carnivorans
- Anatomy
- Skull
- Postcranial region
- Sexual dimorphism
- Relationship with humans
- See also
- References
- External links
Carnivora ( ) is an order of placental mammals specialised primarily in eating flesh, whose members are formally referred to as carnivorans. The order Carnivora is the sixth largest order of mammals, comprising at least 279 species. Carnivorans are found on every major landmass and in a variety of habitats, ranging from the cold polar regions of Earth to the hyper-arid region of the Sahara Desert and the open seas. Carnivorans exhibit a wide array of body plans, varying greatly in size and shape.
Carnivora are divided into two suborders, the Feliformia, containing the true felids and several animals; and the Caniformia, containing the true canids and many animals. The feliforms include the Felidae, Viverridae, hyena, and mongoose families, the majority of which live only in the Old World; cats are the only exception, occurring in the Old World and the New World, entering the Americas via the Bering land bridge. The caniforms include the Caninae, Procyonidae, bears, mustelids, skunks, and pinnipeds that occur worldwide with immense diversity in their morphology, diet, and behaviour.