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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 Most widely distributed bear in North America  Weigh 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

 Light-colored tips of the hair coat  Large and powerful 6-7’ in length, ’ 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 _____________________ 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

 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

 Most ____________ distributed bear in North America  Weigh 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

 ______________-colored tips of the hair coat  Large and powerful ______ in length, ’ 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

 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

 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

 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