Carnivores, PIT-ZOR
Carnivore, any member of the mammalian order Carnivora (literally, “flesh devourers” in Latin), comprising more than 270 species. In a more general sense, a carnivore is any animal (or plant; see carnivorous plant) that eats other animals, as opposed to a herbivore, which eats plants. Although the species classified in this order are basically meat eaters, a substantial number of them, especially among bears and members of the raccoon family, also feed extensively on vegetation and are thus actually omnivorous.
Carnivores Encyclopedia Articles By Title
pit bull, fighting dog developed in 19th-century England, Scotland, and Ireland from Bulldog and terrier ancestry......
pointer, highly regarded breed of sporting dog of hound, spaniel, and setter ancestry. The pointer derives its......
polar bear, (Ursus maritimus), great white northern bear (family Ursidae) found throughout the Arctic region. The......
polecat, any of several weasellike carnivores of the family Mustelidae (which includes the weasel, skunk, mink,......
Pomeranian, breed of toy dog that can be traced back—like the related Keeshond, Samoyed, and Norwegian Elkhound—to......
Poodle, breed of dog thought to have originated in Germany but widely associated with France, where it is hugely......
procyonid, (family Procyonidae), any of a group of tree-climbing mammals comprising raccoons, coatis, olingos,......
Pug, breed of toy dog that probably originated in China and was introduced to England near the end of the 17th......
puli, small sheepdog breed introduced to Hungary about 1,000 years ago by the Magyars (early Hungarians). An agile......
puma, (Puma concolor), large brownish New World cat comparable in size to the jaguar—the only other large cat of......
raccoon, (genus Procyon), any of seven species of nocturnal mammals characterized by bushy ringed tails. The most......
raccoon dog, (Nyctereutes procyonoides), member of the dog family (Canidae) native to eastern Asia and introduced......
rasse, small Asiatic mammal, a species of civet...
ratel, (Mellivora capensis), badgerlike member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) noted for its fondness for honey.......
red fox, (Vulpes vulpes), species of fox (family Canidae) found throughout Europe, temperate Asia, northern Africa,......
red panda, (Ailurus fulgens), reddish brown, long-tailed, raccoonlike mammal, about the size of a large domestic......
retriever, any of several sporting dogs bred and trained to retrieve game. Retrievers are characterized by water-resistant......
Rex cat, curly-coated breed of domestic cat that has a dense, soft coat lacking any projecting guard hairs, or......
Rhodesian Ridgeback, South African hound dog breed characterized by a narrow band of hair that grows forward along......
ribbon seal, (Histriophoca fasciata), earless seal of the family Phocidae found in the North Pacific and the Bering......
ringed seal, (Pusa, or Phoca, hispida), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) of North Polar seas and a......
Ross seal, (Ommatophoca rossi), Antarctic seal of the family Phocidae. It has a short face, very large eyes, and......
Rottweiler, breed of working dog that is thought to be descended from drover dogs (cattle-driving dogs) left by......
Russian Blue, breed of domestic cat noted for the quality of its short, plushlike coat. Characteristically a quiet......
sable, (Martes zibellina), graceful carnivore of the weasel family, Mustelidae, found in the forests of northern......
sabre-toothed cat, any of the extinct catlike carnivores belonging to either the extinct family Nimravidae or the......
Saint Bernard, working dog credited with saving the lives of more than 2,000 people in 300 years of service as......
Saluki, breed of hound whose ancestors may date to 7000 to 6000 bce. The breed was popular throughout the ancient......
Samoyed, breed of working dog developed in Siberia, where its ancestors were kept by the Nenets (formerly Samoyed......
saro, rare South American species of otter...
Schipperke, Belgian dog breed that originated in Flanders (northern Belgium) as early as the 15th century. It was......
Schnauzer, any of three breeds of dog—the Miniature, Standard, and Giant—developed in Germany and noted for their......
Scottish deerhound, dog breed called the “royal dog of Scotland,” known since the 16th century. It was once the......
Scottish fold cat, Breed of domestic cat with ears that fold forward and down. A Scottish shepherd discovered the......
Scottish terrier, short-legged terrier breed often held by its admirers to be the oldest of the Highland terriers,......
sea lion, any of six species of eared seals found primarily in Pacific waters. Sea lions are characterized by a......
sea otter, (Enhydra lutris), completely marine otter species of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds.......
seal, any of 32 species of web-footed aquatic mammals that live chiefly in cold seas and whose body shape, round......
Sealyham terrier, breed of terrier developed during the latter half of the 19th century by Capt. John Edwardes......
serval, (Felis serval), long-limbed cat, family Felidae, found in Africa south of the Sahara, especially in grass-......
setter, any of three breeds of sporting dogs used in pointing game birds. Setters are derived from a medieval hunting......
sheepdog, In general, any dog breed developed to herd sheep; specifically, the border collie. Most sheepdog breeds......
Shetland Sheepdog, small herding dog developed to control the small sheep, poultry, and ponies of Scotland’s Shetland......
Shiba Inu, breed of dog that originated in Japan some 2,300 years ago for small game and ground bird hunting. A......
Shih Tzu, Tibetan dog breed developed from the Pekingese and the Lhasa Apso. Listed in the toy group by the American......
Siamese, popular short-haired breed of domestic cat originally from Thailand, a country whose official name was......
Siberian Husky, breed of working dog raised in Siberia by the Chukchi people, who valued it as a sled dog and companion.......
Siberian tiger, (subspecies Panthera tigris altaica), subspecies of tiger (Pantheria tigris) inhabiting the cold-climate......
silky terrier, Australian breed of toy dog, first shown in 1907. It originated in Sydney and was once known as......
silver fox, (Vulpes fulva), red fox of North America in that colour phase when the fur is black with interspersed......
skunk, (family Mephitidae), black-and-white mammal, found primarily in the Western Hemisphere, that uses extremely......
Skye terrier, breed of dog that was originated as a hunter on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and has remained relatively......
sled dog, any canine used in Arctic climates to pull a sled across snow and ice. The breeds most commonly associated......
sloth bear, (Melursus ursinus), forest-dwelling bear (family Ursidae) that inhabits tropical or subtropical regions......
Smilodon, extinct genus of large mammalian carnivores known collectively by the common name sabre-toothed cat.......
snow leopard, large long-haired Asian cat, classified as either Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia in the family Felidae.......
soft-coated wheaten terrier, breed of dog developed from the terriers kept as farm dogs in Ireland. It was recognized......
South American fox, (genus Lycalopex), any of six South American carnivores of the dog family (Canidae). Although......
spaniel, any of several sporting dogs used by hunters to flush game from cover. The earliest spaniels apparently......
spectacled bear, (Tremarctos ornatus), the only South American bear of the family Ursidae. It inhabits the northern......
sphynx cat, Breed of hairless domestic cat, founded on two spontaneous mutations in shorthaired cats. The first......
spitz, any of a group of northern dogs—such as the Akita, Pomeranian, and Samoyed—characterized by a wolflike or......
springer spaniel, either of two ancient breeds of sporting dogs used to flush game from cover and to retrieve it.......
Staffordshire Bull Terrier, breed of terrier developed in 19th-century England for fighting other dogs in pits.......
sun bear, (Helarctos malayanus), the smallest bear in the world, found in Southeast Asian forests. It weighs only......
Sussex spaniel, breed of sporting dog developed in Great Britain in the late 18th century; like other land spaniels,......
tabby, type of dark-striped coat colouring found in both wild and domestic cats. One of the most common coat colours,......
tayra, (Eira barbara), weasel-like mammal of tropical forests from southern Mexico through South America to northern......
teacup dog, unofficial name for any of several breeds of dogs that are bred to be less than 4 to 6 pounds (1.8–2.7......
teledu, species of badger (q.v.) found in Southeast...
terrier, any of a diverse group of dog breeds of various sizes—from the diminutive Yorkshire Terrier to the large......
Tibetan terrier, breed of nonsporting dog that originated in Tibet to aid shepherds. It was believed to bring luck......
tiger, (Panthera tigris), largest member of the cat family (Felidae), rivaled only by the lion (Panthera leo) in......
tigon, offspring of a tiger and a lioness. The tigon, or tiglon, is a zoo-bred hybrid, as is the liger, the product......
toy dog, Any of several breeds of dogs that were bred to be small, portable, good-natured companions. Toy dogs......
Turkish Angora cat, Breed of longhaired domestic cat that probably arose from a domesticated cat of Tatars who......
Turkish Van cat, breed of semilonghaired domestic cat distinguished mainly by its unusual colour pattern: white,......
viverrid, (family Viverridae), any of 35 species of small Old World mammals including civets, genets, and linsangs.......
Vizsla, breed of sporting dog whose ancestors were probably brought to Hungary by the Magyars more than a thousand......
walrus, (Odobenus rosmarus), huge, seal-like mammal found in Arctic seas. There are two subspecies: the Atlantic......
weasel, any of various small carnivores with very elongated slender bodies. Most live in the Northern Hemisphere......
Weddell seal, (Leptonychotes weddellii), nonmigratory earless seal (family Phocidae) found around the South Pole,......
Weimaraner, sporting dog breed developed in the early 19th century by German nobles of the court of Weimar. First......
Welsh Corgi, either of two breeds (Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Cardigan Welsh Corgi) of affectionate dogs developed......
Welsh terrier, breed of terrier native to Wales, where it has been used as a hunter of foxes, otters, and badgers.......
West Highland white terrier, a short-legged dog standing 10 to 11 inches (25 to 28 cm) tall and weighing 13 to......
While river otters and sea otters might appear similar at first glance, the two exhibit many striking differences......
whippet, hound breed developed in mid-19th-century England to chase rabbits for sport in an arena. The breed was......
white tiger, colour variant of the Bengal tiger (Pantheria tigris tigris), the Siberian tiger (P. tigris altaica),......
wildcat, (species Felis silvestris), a small wild member of the cat family (Felidae) native to Eurasia and Africa.......
wolf, any of two species of wild doglike carnivores. The gray, or timber, wolf (Canis lupus) is the better known.......
wolverine, (Gulo gulo), member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) that lives in cold northern latitudes of North......
working dog, any of various breeds of dog bred as guard, herding, draft, or rescue animals. Breeds range from medium......
Yorkshire Terrier dog, breed of toy dog developed about the mid-1800s in the English counties of Yorkshire and......
zorille, (Ictonyx [sometimes Zorilla] striatus), African carnivore of the weasel family (Mustelidae), frequenting......