Order Carnivora — Carnivores
Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Mammalia > Order: Carnivora
Carnivores are mammals adapted to feeding mainly on other animals, with strong jaws and specialised teeth for cutting meat. Many species are strictly carnivorous, while others are more omnivorous and will also eat fruit or other plant material. The order includes a wide range of mammals such as cats, dogs, bears, otters, raccoons and the marine pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and the walrus).
From an evolutionary point of view, Carnivora split early into two main branches: the dog‑like caniforms and the cat‑like feliforms. These groups differ mainly in skull structure and claw anatomy, although modern classifications do not always show this division explicitly. The pinnipeds are now considered to have evolved from within the dog‑like branch.
Families within Order Carnivora
Carnivores are often divided into “cat-like” (Feliformia) and “dog-like” (Caniformia) groups. iNaturalist does not display these suborders in its standard taxonomy, so the families are listed here together.
Observations
Observation notes and photographs are provided below for the families in which I have recorded sightings. Most of these animals were encountered in the wild during travels around the world, although a few were seen at wildlife parks or conservation centres where they also occur naturally in the surrounding region.
Family: Canidae (wolves, dogs, jackals, foxes)
I’ve seen several members of the dog family in the wild. Coyotes were a regular sight in Yellowstone, often trotting across open ground or watching from a distance, and we initially mistook them for wolves on several occasions. Red Foxes have been a common sight in many places, from the foxes that visit my garden in the UK to the paler Rocky Mountain foxes in Yellowstone, a fox cub in Finland, and a Himalayan fox in Bhutan. Grey Wolves and Arctic Foxes have both been on the “possible sightings” list on wildlife trips, but so far I have only seen them at Langedrag Nature Park in Norway.
Expand to view list of species I have seen (4)
- Coyote (Canis latrans) — Yellowstone Wild
- Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) — Norway (Langedraget Park) Captive
- Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) — Langedraget Nature Park, Norway only
- Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) — Various
- European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes ssp. crucigera) — UK
- Scandinavian Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes ssp. vulpes) — Norway, Finland
- Rocky Mountain Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes ssp. macroura) — Yellowstone
- Himalayan Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes ssp. montana) — Bhutan
Family: Mustelidae (martens, weasels, skunks, otters)
I’ve seen several members of the weasel family in the wild. In Scotland we watched Pine Martens and Badgers from the Speyside Wildlife hide, and I have also seen Otters in Orkney and other parts of the UK, as well as Weasels and Polecats. The photos shown here for these British species were taken at the British Wildlife Centre, where they provide much better views. Further afield I saw Smooth-coated Otters in Bhutan and briefly encountered a Yellow-throated Marten running down a hillside before our guide coaxed it back into view with squeaking noises.
Expand to view list of species I have seen (10)
- Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) — Various, UK species
- Smooth-coated Otter (Lutra perspicillata) — Bhutan 2020
- North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) — Yellowstone 2017
- Northern Neotropical River Otter (Lontra annectens) — Costa Rica 2015
- Yellow-throated Marten (Martes flavigula) — Bhutan 2020
- European Pine Marten (Martes martes) — Speyside, Scotland 2013
- European Badger (Meles meles) — Various, UK species
- Stoat (Mustela erminea) — Various, UK species
- Weasel (Mustela nivalis) — Various, UK Species
- Western Polecat (Mustela putorius) — Shetland 2012
Family: Ursidae (bears, giant pandas)
I’ve seen several bear species in different parts of the world. My first was a Brown Bear in Romania, seen foraging at a local rubbish dump, and I later saw another in Slovenia. In Canada we came across a “bear jam” and had good views of an American Black Bear from a safe distance, and in Grand Teton National Park we watched Black Bears swimming across a river. In Yellowstone I caught only a brief glimpse of a Grizzly Bear feeding on a carcass as we drove past. In the Arctic I had memorable views of a Polar Bear snoozing on a sandy beach in Spitsbergen, and saw several others in the distance during the trip. I am unlikely to see Giant Pandas in the wild, but we visited the Chengdu Panda Base in China where they can be observed at close range.
Expand to view list of species I have seen (5)
- Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) — Chengdu, China 2013
- American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) — Canada 2011, Yellowstone 2017
- Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) — Romania 1999, Slovenia 2024,
- Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) — Yellowstone 2017
- Polar Bear ( Ursus maritimus) — Spitsbergen 2022
Superfamily Pinnipedia — Seals, Sea Lions and Walrus
Pinnipedia includes the three families: Phocidae (true seals), Otariidae (sea lions and fur seals) and Odobenidae (the walrus).
Both Grey and Harbour Seals are familiar sights along the British coast. In Svalbard we came across a large group of male Walruses hauled out on the beach at Walbergøya, and further north we passed a Bearded Seal resting on a small ice floe with strikingly long whiskers. During my trip to Antarctica I saw several other species. On Livingston Island the beach was crowded with Elephant Seals among the Gentoo Penguins, and around the Gerlache Strait and Paradise Bay we saw a Weddell Seal on an iceberg and later a Crabeater Seal. During a zodiac cruise through the iceberg graveyard at Port Charcot we encountered both a Crabeater and a Leopard Seal, and at St Andrew’s Bay in South Georgia there were thousands of Fur Seals and Elephant Seals along the shore. I also saw Fur Seals and Sea Lions during travels in New Zealand.
Expand to view list of species I have seen (15)
- Family Odobenidae
- Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) — Spitsbergen 2022
- Family Otariidae
- New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) — New Zealand 2023
- Antarctic Fur Seal (Arctocephalus gazella) — Antarctica 2021
- South American Fur Seal (Arctocephalus australis) — Antarctica 2021
- South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens) — Antarctica 2021
- New Zealand Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri) — New Zealand 2023
- Family Phocidae
- Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) — Spitsbergen 2022
- Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) — Various, UK Species
- Leopard Seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) — Antarctica 2021
- Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) — Antarctica 2021
- Crabeater Seal (Lobodon carcinophaga) — Antarctica 2021
- Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) — Antarctica 2021
- Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) — Spitsbergen 2022
- Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) — Various, UK Species
- Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida) — Spitsbergen 2022
Other families I’ve encountered
I’ve seen only a few species from these smaller carnivore families. In Costa Rica several White‑nosed Coatis visited the garden at Arenal Observatory Lodge, probably attracted by the bird food, and I also saw a Crab‑eating Raccoon there. I have included the Red Panda, seen only at the Chengdu Panda Base, and the Eurasian Lynx photographed at Langedrag Nature Park in Norway. In Bhutan I had a brief view of a Himalayan Palm Civet.
Expand to view list of species I have seen
- Family Ailuridae (Red Pandas)
- Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) — Chengdu Panda Base, China 2013
- Family Felidae (Cats)
- Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) — Langedraget Nature Park, Norway 2010
- Family Herpestidae (Mongooses)
- Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) — Extremadura 2016
- Family Procyonidae (Raccoons, Coatis, and Allies)
- White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica) — Costa Rica 2015
- Crab-eating Raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) — Costa Rica 2015
- Family Viverridae (Civets etc)
- Himalayan Palm Civet (Paguma larvata) — Bhutan 2020
Notes
Giant Panda and Red Panda — Photographed at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Artic Fox, Wolf and Lynx — Photographed at Langedrag Nature Park, where these native species are kept in large natural enclosures.
Some British species were photographed at the British Wildlife Centre, which provides close views of native mammals that are often difficult to photograph in the wild.