Predatory Mammals Role of Predators Secondary consumers totally

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