Predatory Mammals

Predatory Mammals Mammals that kill and eat the

other animals

Help out food chain by killing rather than starving overpopulated animals

Most are carnivores – meat eaters

Bobcat

Bobcat AKA wildcat

22 – 47 “ in length

Mottled reddish brown fur coat and a short white-tipped tail

Well adapted to forests and brushy desert environments (need cover)

Feed on rabbits, rodents, and birds

Bobcat

Good tree climbers

Do most of hunting on ground at night

2-4 young born in spring

Completely blind and helpless

Mountain Lion

Mountain Lion

Often called a puma, cougar, or panther

Large, tan colored cat

Weighs up to 175 lbs and measures 7.5’ in length

Range is in western U.S., but also found in other isolated areas

Mountain Lion Deer are favorite prey, but will kill elk,

porcupines, sheep, cattle, and horses

Kittens are born in late winter / early spring Blind, helpless, and covered with spots Up to 5 young are born Feed only on their mother’s milk for

several months

Jaguar

Jaguar Largest cat living on the North

American continent

Spotted coat resembles a leopard

Eats deer and other large & small animals

Jaguar

27-30” tall and weighs 250 lbs. at maturity

Ranges from Mexico to Argentina

Arctic Fox

Arctic Fox Native of northern tundra region

Brown coat in summer that is replaced by white or grayish blue coat in winter

Short ears

Has hair on the bottom of its feet, which give it better traction

Arctic Fox Feeds on small rodents and birds

Also follow large predators to eat what they kill

4-8 cubs are born

Coyote

Coyote

Coyote Ranges from Alaska to Central

America

Feeds on rodents, rabbits, and birds primarily

Also eats melons, fruits, and veggies, making them an omnivore

Coyote Black-tipped, bushy tails

Weigh 50 lbs. and 26” at shoulder

Coyotes mate for life

Large hole in ground serves as den until the pups are old enough to follow parents

American Black Bear

American Black Bear Most widely distributed bear in

North America

Weigh 200-400 lbs and stand as tall as 40” at shoulder

Mate in summer and cubs are born during winter

Twins are common

American Black Bear Cubs stay with their mothers for

several months

When female emerges from winter den, cubs are large enough to follow her

Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear

Light-colored tips of the hair coat

Large and powerful 6-7’ in length, 3 - 3.5’ tall, weighs 350 –

850 lbs Afraid of nothing

Poor eyesight, but smell and hearing are excellent

Grizzly Bear Reach maturity around 10 years

old & can live to 30 years old

Require large territories that are isolated from human activity

Conflicts between humans and bears come when humans startle bears when protecting their cubs

Grizzly Bear

Live alone most of the time

Come together when fish move up a stream to spawn

Mature female is called a sow

Mature male is called a boar

Polar Bear

Polar Bears

Found in arctic regions of North America

Largest bears in world Weigh 440 – 1300 lbs 7-8’ in length 3-4’ tall at the shoulder

Polar Bears Completely white except for dark eyes

and nose

Carnivores, except for occasional meat

Prey mostly on seals, but also birds, fish

Pregnant females go into dens to give birth

Poor hearing, but it has excellent eyesight and keen sense of smell

Black-Footed Ferret

Black-Footed Ferret

Member of the weasel family 18-22” in length and weighs 2-3 lbs.

Yellowish brown in color with black feet, forehead, and tail tip

Eats prairie dogs as a source of food

Black-Footed Ferret

Has been a protected species since 1967

Will be reintroduced as its population increases sufficiently to do so

Striped Skunk

Striped Skunk Recognized by white stripes on

black body

20-30” long

Weighs 4-10 lbs.

Smell comes from scent glands located near the base of the tail

Predators are great horned owl, cougar, coyote

Striped Skunk Omnivores – eat berries, nuts,

fruits, insects, rodents, frogs

Live in burrows underground, under buildings, or in piles of debris

4-5 young are born in the spring and remain with mother when she enters the den to hibernate through winter

Badger

Badger Has long, digging claws

Digs up mice and gophers living underground

Lives in underground burrows and make nests of dried grass at the end of their tunnels

Face and head are marked with white stripes

Badger Can weigh over 20 pounds and be

longer than 30”

Preferred habitat is open areas and farmland

River Otter

River Otter Body is shaped like a mink’s body

Weighs as much as 30 lbs and measures as long as 55”

Expert at catching fish, snakes, and other aquatic animals

Prefer wetland habitats that have cover, such as woodlands

River Otter

Pups are born in spring in a den under a stream bank,

Very playful animals Often build mud slides down stream

banks where they play together

Raccoon

Raccoon

Among most adaptable animals in the world

Adept at swimming and climbing trees

Can find food almost anywhere

Raccoon

Find shelter in human structures

Eat garbage and other food that is abundant near humans

____________________ Mammals

Predatory Mammals Mammals that _____________ and

eat the other animals

Help out ______________ chain by killing rather than _________________ _______________________ animals

Most are _________________ – meat eaters

_____________________

Bobcat AKA _______________________

22 – 47 “ in length

Mottled reddish brown fur coat and a short white-tipped _______________

Well adapted to ________________ and brushy desert environments (need cover)

Feed on rabbits, ____________, and birds

Bobcat

Good tree _____________________

Do most of hunting on __________ at night

______________ young born in spring

Completely blind and helpless

__________________ Lion

Mountain Lion

Often called a puma, ______________, or panther

___________________, tan colored cat

Weighs up to ___________ lbs and measures _____________ ‘ in length

Range is in western U.S., but also found in other isolated areas

Mountain Lion _____________ are favorite prey, but will

kill elk, porcupines, sheep, cattle, and horses

Kittens are born in late ___________ / early spring Blind, helpless, and covered with spots Up to _____ young are born Feed only on their mother’s milk for several

months

Jaguar

Jaguar _____________________ cat living on the

North American continent

Spotted coat resembles a ______________

Eats deer and other large & small animals

Jaguar

27-30” tall and weighs _______ lbs. at maturity

Ranges from ________________ to Argentina

______________ _________

Arctic Fox Native of northern ___________ region

_____________ coat in summer that is replaced by white or grayish blue coat in winter

________________ ears

Has ___________ on the bottom of its feet, which give it better ____________________

Arctic Fox Feeds on ___________ rodents and

birds

Also follow large ___________________ to eat what they kill

4-8 cubs are born

Coyote

Coyote Ranges from ______________ to

Central America

Feeds on rodents, ______________, and birds primarily

Also eats melons, fruits, and veggies, making them an ____________________

Coyote _______________-tipped, bushy tails

Weigh _______ lbs. and 26” at shoulder

Coyotes ________________ for life

Large hole in ground serves as ______ until the pups are old enough to follow parents

American Black Bear

American Black Bear Most ____________ distributed bear

in North America

Weigh 200-400 lbs and stand as tall as ________” at shoulder

Mate in summer and cubs are born during __________________

_________________ are common

American Black Bear Cubs ______________ with their

mothers for several months

When female emerges from winter den, cubs are _______________ enough to __________________ her

Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear ______________-colored tips of the hair coat

Large and powerful ______ in length, 3 - 3.5’ tall, weighs 350 – 850 lbs __________________________ of nothing

Poor ______________________, but smell and hearing are excellent

Grizzly Bear Reach maturity around _____ years

old & can live to 30 years old

Require __________ territories that are isolated from human _______________

Conflicts between humans and bears come when ________________ startle bears when protecting their _________

Grizzly Bear

Live _________________ most of the time

Come together when fish move up a stream to ___________________

Mature female is called a ______________

Mature male is called a ________________

Polar Bear

________________ Bears

Found in ________________ regions of North America

___________________ bears in world Weigh _________________ lbs ___________’ in length 3-4’ tall at the shoulder

Polar Bears Completely white except for ____________

eyes and nose

Carnivores, except for occasional plants

Prey mostly on _______, but also birds, fish

Pregnant females go into dens to give birth

Poor ________________, but it has excellent eyesight and keen sense of smell

Black-Footed Ferret

Black-Footed Ferret Member of the ______________ family

18-22” in length and weighs 2-3 lbs.

Yellowish brown in color with black ___________, forehead, and tail _______

Eats ______________ dogs as a source of food

Black-Footed Ferret

Has been a _______________ species since 1967

Will be reintroduced as its population increases sufficiently to do so

__________________ Skunk

Striped Skunk Recognized by white stripes on

black body

20-30” long

Weighs __________ lbs.

Smell comes from scent ____________ located near the __________ of the tail

Predators are great horned owl, cougar, coyote

Striped Skunk _________________ – eat berries, nuts,

fruits, insects, rodents, frogs

Live in burrows underground, under buildings, or in piles of debris

________ young are born in the spring and remain with mother when she enters the den to hibernate through winter

Badger

Badger Has long, _________________ claws

Digs up mice and _______________ living underground

Lives in underground burrows and make nests of dried grass at the end of their tunnels

Face and head are marked with ___________ stripes

Badger Can weigh over 20 pounds and be

longer than _________”

Preferred habitat is open areas and ________________________

_________________ Otter

River Otter Body is _______________ like a mink’s body

Weighs as much as 30 lbs and measures as long as 55”

Expert at catching ________________, snakes, and other aquatic animals

Prefer ________________ habitats that have cover, such as woodlands

River Otter

Pups are born in spring in a den under a stream bank

Very ____________________ animals Often build _____________ slides down

stream banks where they play together

Raccoon

Raccoon

Among most ____________________ animals in the world

Adept at _______________ and climbing trees

Can find food almost anywhere

Raccoon

Find ___________ in human structures

Eat garbage and other food that is abundant near humans