Carnivora

Human-carnivore relationships are extremely varied. On the one hand, dogs and cats have been domesticated for thousands of years. Many carnivores, such as mink, seal, fox, and bobcat, have long been hunted or ranched for their fur. Other carnivores benefit humans by killing pests such as snakes and rodents, or by consuming carrion. However, the reputation of many large carnivores as predators on man or on livestock -- a false or highly exaggerated reputation, in most cases -- has been used to justify unrestricted hunting. Hunting and trapping of wild carnivores for fur, and the destruction of habitats around the world have also contributed towards bringing many carnivore species to extinction or to the brink of extinction.

Viverridae -- mongooses, meercats, civets, linsangs

Mustelidae -- weasels, ferrets, skunks, badgers, otters, sea otter

"meat-eaters," and most members of the Carnivora are meat-eating predators and scavengers. However, not all members of the Carnivora adhere to a strict meat diet: raccoons, civets, jackals, badgers, skunks, and many bears supplement their diet with fruit, honey, seeds, roots, and/or other plant foods. Some members of the Carnivora aren't even meat-eaters at all: some small carnivores such as the tropical American coatis and kinkajou eat mostly fruit, and the panda feeds almost exclusively on bamboo. Remember that biological taxa are defined as a set of animals with a common ancestry, not all members of a taxon will necessarily show the most characteristic features of the taxon. In other words, not all Carnivora are carnivorous!

Some topics in this essay:
, Pinnipedia Otariidae, Defined Fissipedia, Mustelidae Viverridae, Aeluroidea Viverridae, Miacidae Viverravidae, Traditionally Carnivora, North America, sea lions, sea otter, life oceans, pinnipeds evolved, seals sea, seals sea lions, dogs cats,