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Procyonidae Cacomistles; Coatis; Raccoons; Ringtails

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Higher taxa:  Life   Vertebrata   Mammalia   IDnature guides: Groups_Vertebrata, Indiana, Mammalia, Mammalia_species We parsed the following live from the Web into this page. Such content is managed by its original site and not cached on Discover Life. Please send feedback and corrections directly to the source. See original regarding copyrights and terms of use. Animal Diversity Web

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© Copyright Roger Barbour. All rights reserved. Procyon lotor

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Bassaricyon Bassariscus Nasua Nasuella Potos Procyon

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Overview  News  Technology  Conditions of Use  Privacy Policy  Partners & Contributors  Awards & Recognition  ADW Staff  Contact Us  Spinning Skulls  About Mammals  Frog Calls  Resources for College Instructors  Resources for K-12 Instructors  Contribute to ADW  What's in a Scientific Name?  Authority Lists: Where We Get Our Names  Name, Rank, and Serial Number  Organismal classification: evolutionary relationships & ranks  Glossary  Search Guide  Related Links  Contact Us  Report an Error Structured Inquiry Search — preview Home Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata Class Mammalia Order Carnivora Suborder Caniformia Family Procyonidae Family Procyonidae coatis, raccoons, and relatives (Also: cacomistle, coatis, raccoons, and relatives) Information Pictures Specimens Classification 2009/12/20 04:28:29.647 US/Eastern By Phil Myers Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Caniformia Family: Procyonidae Members of this Family The raccoon family includes 18 species in 6 genera. We follow Wilson and Reeder (1993) in placing red pandas, Ailurus , in the Ursidae rather than in this family. Thus restricted, the Procyonidae is restricted to the New World, from southern Canada to northern Argentina. Procyonids can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including desert, northern forests, tropical rainforest, and wetlands. Procyonids are generally small to medium-sized animals, ranging from slightly less than 1 kg to over 20 kg in weight. Some species have slender bodies, while others are stocky. All have medium or long tails. The pelage is gray or brown, sometimes with contrasting markings on the face and light and dark rings around the tail. Most species have relatively short, broad faces; and short but erect ears, which may be rounded or pointed. Forefeet and hindfeet have 5 digits, and procyonids are plantigrade , often walking with a bear-like shuffle. The claws are short and curved. In some species they can be partially retracted. The tail of of species, the kinkajou, is prehensile, and that of coatis is very mobile and is used for balancing during climbing. Males have a well-developed, bilobed baculum. Procyonid skulls have relatively short rostrums (shorter than canids , longer than felids ). They lack alisphenoid canals , but they have well-developed paroccipital processes . Their incisors are unspecialized, and their canines are moderately long and ovate (not round) in cross section. The molars are wide and at least somewhat bunodont . Most species lack secodont carnassials . The dental formula is 3/3, 1/1, 3-4/3-4, 2/2-3 = 36-42. Procyonids are omnivorous. They consume both plant and animal material, including small mammals and birds. Some species are social, living in family groups or bands containing a number of families. Others are solitary. All species are to some degree arboreal, often seeking refuge in the trees when pursued by predators. Most are nocturnal, often denning in hollow trees during the day. The Procyonidae is a member of the canoid subgroup of carnivores. Their geologic history is old, going back to the late Eocene. Technical characters Literature and references cited Feldhamer, G. A., L. C. Drickamer, S. H. Vessey, and J. F. Merritt. 1999. Mammalogy. Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. WCB McGraw-Hill, Boston. xii+563pp. Paradiso, J. L. 1975. Walker's Mammals of the World, Third Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Savage, R. J. G. and M. R. Long. 1986. Mammal Evolution, an Illustrated Guide. Facts of File Publications, New York. 259 pp. Stains, H. J. 1984. Carnivores. Pp. 491-521 in Anderson, S. and J. K. Jones, Jr. (eds). Orders and Families of Recent Mammals of the World. John Wiley and Sons, N.Y. xii+686 pp. Vaughan, T. A. 1986. Mammalogy. Third Edition. Saunders College Publishing, Fort Worth. vii+576 pp. Vaughan, T. A., J. M. Ryan, N. J. Czaplewski. 2000. Mammalogy. Fourth Edition. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia. vii+565pp. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder. 1993. Mammal Species of the World, A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 2nd edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. xviii+1206 pp. For More Information Find Procyonidae " information at BioKIDS: Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species Contributors Phil Myers (author), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. 2009/12/20 04:28:29.969 US/Eastern To cite this page: Myers, P. 2000. "Procyonidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed January 01, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Procyonidae.html. Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control. Other formats: OWL Home   ¦   About Us   ¦   Special Topics   ¦   Teaching   ¦   About Animal Names   ¦   Help Structured Inquiry Search — preview Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative, the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan   Museum of Zoology . This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151. The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. Report Error — Comment ©1995-2008, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors. All rights reserved.