Predatory Mammals

Role of Predators Secondary consumers, totally dependent upon primary consumers All wild animals belong to this cycle Abundant food Population increase Near famine Back to abundance Cycle affected by food supply, predation, disease and natural disaster

Role of Predators Keep primary consumer populations stable and in balance by preventing them from increasing so rapidly that food supplies are threatened Decrease population, thereby allowing food supply to increase Helps populations of primary consumers stay with in carrying capacity of the land Do not eliminate, but reduce starvation

Predator Behavior Highly adaptable Forward looking eyes Keen senses Great night vision Opportunists rather than specialist

Wild Cats Elusive predators Quick Nocturnal Lie in wait for long periods of time Highly adaptable to different environments Examples - Canada lynx, Bobcat, Mountain Lion, Jaguar

Canada Lynx Grayish brown fur Short tail with black tip 2 feet at shoulder Up to 40 pounds Kittens are spotted at birth

Bobcat AKA Wildcat Molted reddish brown fur Short white tipped tail Coloration differences depending on habitat

Mountain Lion AKA Puma Large tan colored cat Up to 175 pounds Up to 7.5 feet in length Rare human attacks and deaths reported Babies stay with mother for two years

Jaguar Largest cat in North America Spotted coat Prey on domestic livestock Up to 250 pounds Up to 30 inches tall

Wild Dogs Foxes – red, gray, arctic, kit Diet includes wide variety of rodents, amphibians and smaller predators Mostly nocturnal Coyotes – very successful - omnivores Wolves– prey mostly on ungulates- sheep, cattle deer, hunt in packs – very smart

Fox Male- dog Female- vixen Born in dens or burrows Preyed upon by bobcats, wolves, coyotes Humans trap them for their fur

Coyotes AKA Prairie wolf/brush wolf Learned to thrive near human populations Omnivore Black tipped bushy tails Up to 50 pounds Mate for life

Wolves Closely related to domesticated dogs Problem??? Hunt in packs One dominant male leader Only the dominant male and his mate produce offspring

Weasels Wolverines, minks, badgers, ferrets, martens, fisher, skunk Can enter dens of many mammals they prey upon Very efficient predators (sometimes thought to be the most vicious), aggressive All living things are on the menu

Weasels Will kill more than they need - even larger animals Example fishers seldom weigh more than 12 lbs but can take down a deer Well adapted for survival Delayed gestation – wait until increased photoperiod (number of daylight hours in day) to ensure spring birth Better for survival of young

Bears Largest and most well known predators in North America Alaskan browns can get huge 4-5 ft at the shoulder and up to 1500 lbs Eat just about anything –berries, rodents fish - but will also eat carrion (rotted meat) Black bear is most widely distributed

Comparison of very large Alaskan brown bear paw to human                                                                                                                                                                  Comparison of very large Alaskan brown bear paw to human