Skip to content
Animals Top
Home>Animals>Mammal>Carnivora
Mammal Directory

Mammals

Explore mammals from tiny bats and rodents to primates, carnivores, ungulates, whales, and elephants. Each profile connects core facts with habitat, lifespan, traits, and conservation information.

Scientific names IUCN status Lifespan
Numbat
Explore more

Browse Mammal Groups

Use these shortcuts to move into more specific animal groups.

Carnivora

Carnivora is a large order in the class Mammalia that includes animal species that are either meat-eating or omnivorous. Although some carnivores have become omnivorous or even herbivorous during evolution, their common characteristics include sharp canine teeth, carnassial teeth for biting prey, and well-developed olfactory and visual systems. Carnivores are widely distributed in terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments around the world.

  • Scientific name: Carnivora

  • Characteristics:

    • Most have carnassial teeth for cutting meat.

    • Usually have strong limbs and agile movement.

    • Have highly developed sensory systems (especially smell and vision).

    • Includes predatory, omnivorous and herbivorous animals.

  • Main habitats: forests, grasslands, deserts, oceans, polar regions and other diverse ecological environments.

  • Representative animals: lions, tigers, wolves, bears, seals, etc.


Classification table of Carnivora

Carnivora is divided into two suborders:

  1. Caniformia: includes Canidae, Ursidae, Sealidae, etc.

  2. Feliformia: includes Felidae, Hyaenidae, Civetidae, etc.

The following is a detailed classification list of Carnivora, including all families and some typical genera and representative animals:

SuborderFamilyTypical genusRepresentative animals (Examples)
Canine suborderCanidaeCaniswolf, dog, jackal


Vulpesred fox, sand fox


Lycalopexsouth american gray fox

UrsidaeUrsusPolar bear, brown bear, black bear


Ailurusred panda

PhocidaePhocaRinged seal, gray seal


HydrurgaLeopard seal

MustelidaeMustelaYellow weasel, snow ferret


LutraEurasian otter, giant otter


Wolverine (Gulo)wolverine

ProcyonidaeProcyonraccoon


Bassaricyonhoney bear

Sea Otter (Enhydra)Enhydrasea otter
Feline suborderFelidaePantheraLion, tiger, leopard


FelisDomestic cat, desert cat


Neofelisclouded leopard

Hyena (Hyaenidae)Hyena (Hyaena)Striped hyena


CrocutaSpotted hyena

ViverridaeViverraLarge civet, small civet


ParadoxurusAsian Palm Civet

HerpestidaeHerpestesHerpestes

NandiniidaeNandiniaAfrican raccoon cat


Carnivora is one of the most diverse and adaptable groups of mammals, ranging from terrestrial From the polar regions to the tropics, carnivores have demonstrated amazing ecological adaptability. By understanding the classification and characteristics of carnivores, we can not only better understand their importance in nature, but also provide information for protecting these precious creatures. Scientific basis.

Advertisement
Species directory

Browse Mammals

Search the animals shown on this page or narrow them by IUCN conservation code.

Phoca hispidaLC

Phoca hispida

Phoca hispida,Ringed seal,Nordic seal, ice seal, ring seal

Carnivora25-30years

The scientific name of the ringed seal is Phoca hispida, and its foreign name is Ringed seal. There are 5 subspecies. It is one of···

Pagophilus groenlandicusLC

Pagophilus groenlandicus

Pagophilus groenlandicus,Harp Seal、Greenland Seal,Greenland seal, ice seal, Lyra seal, saddle seal

Carnivora20-35years

Harp seal (scientific name: Pagophilus groenlandicus) is also known as Harp Seal and Greenland Seal. It has no subspecies.Harp sea···

Phoca caspicaLC

Phoca caspica

Phoca caspica,Caspian ringed seal, Phoca leucopus

CarnivoraAbout 20 years

The scientific name of the Caspian seal is Phoca caspica, an animal belonging to the genus Phoca of the family Phocidae.Caspian se···

Ommatophoca rossiiLC

Ommatophoca rossii

Ommatophoca rossii,Ross seal, Ross seal

Carnivora20-25years

The big-eyed seal (scientific name: Ommatophoca rossii) is named because of its relatively large eyes (eye diameter up to 7 cm). I···

Monachus tropicalisLC

Monachus tropicalis

Monachus tropicalis ,Caribbean monk seal,West Indian monk seal

CarnivoraAbout 20 years

Caribbean monk seal, Monachus tropicalis (Gray, 1850) foreign name Caribbean monk seal, a seal of the genus Phocaeus in the family···

Monachus schauinslandiLC

Monachus schauinslandi

Monachus schauinslandi,Hawaiian monk seal

Carnivora10-30years

Hawaiian monk seal (scientific name: Monachus schauinslandi) is the only native seal in Hawaii.Except for the breeding season, Haw···

Herpestes urvaLC

Herpestes urva

Herpestes urva,Crab-eating Mongoose,Mountain badger, brown cat, rock badger

CarnivoraAbout 12 years

Crab-eating mongoose (Latin name: Herpestes urva) is also known as mountain badger, stone badger, water badger, white badger, bamb···

Herpestes smithiiLC

Herpestes smithii

Herpestes smithii,Ruddy Mongoose,Red mongoose, Golden palm civet

CarnivoraAbout 12 years

Ruddy Mongoose (scientific name: Herpestes smithii) is called "mugatiya" in Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. It is generally cons···

Herpestes edwardsiiLC

Herpestes edwardsii

Herpestes edwardsii,Indian Gray Mongoose

Carnivora7-12years

The gray mongoose, scientifically known as Herpestes edwardsii, is a lone ranger that likes to wander around in the early morning ···

Helogale parvula,Dwarf mongooseLC

Helogale parvula,Dwarf mongoose

Helogale parvula

Carnivora10-13years

The dwarf mongoose (scientific name Helogale parvula) is a small carnivore in Africa and a snake nemesis.The dwarf mongoose is doc···

Atilax paludinosus,LC

Atilax paludinosus,

Atilax paludinosus,Swamp Mongoose

Carnivora10-17years

The swamp mongoose (scientific name Atilax paludinosus) is a medium-sized mongoose.The swamp mongoose is a solitary animal with te···

Proteles cristatusLC

Proteles cristatus

Proteles cristatus,Aardwolf, Hyena

CarnivoraAbout 12 years

Coyote (scientific name: Proteles cristatus) is also known as Aardwolf in English. It has two subspecies.The coyote is small, its ···

Parahyaena brunneaLC

Parahyaena brunnea

Parahyaena brunnea,Brown Hyaena,Brown hyena, beach wolf

CarnivoraAbout 14 years

Brown hyena (scientific name: Parahyaena brunnea) is also known as Brown Hyaena in English. It has two subspecies.Brown hyenas hav···

Hyaena hyaenaLC

Hyaena hyaena

Hyaena hyaena,Striped Hyaena, Hyène rayée,Hiena Rayada, Daba'a Moukhattat

CarnivoraAbout 12 years

Striped hyena (scientific name: Hyaena hyaena) English Striped Hyaena, French Hyène rayée, Spanish Hiena Rayada, Arabic Daba'···

Crocuta crocutaLC

Crocuta crocuta

Crocuta crocuta,Spotted Hyaena,Spotted Hyena

Carnivora12-25years

Spotted hyena (scientific name: Crocuta crocuta), also known as spotted hyena, is a member of the genus Crocuta and family Hyaenid···

Civettictis civettaLC

Civettictis civetta

Civettictis civetta

Carnivora10-15years

The African civet (scientific name: Civettictis civetta) is a civet in tropical Africa.The African civet is the largest representa···

Paguma larvataLC

Paguma larvata

Paguma larvata,Masked Palm Civet,Civet cat, white nose heart, hairy mouse, white eyebrow, five-faced civet cat, white nose dog, Qingjie, etc.

CarnivoraAbout 15 years

Paguma larvata (scientific name: Masked Palm Civet) is a carnivorous animal of the family Viverridae and the genus Paguma. It has ···

Fossa fossanaLC

Fossa fossana

Fossa fossana,Spotted Fanaloka,Malagasy civet, Malagasy civet, Malagasy civet

CarnivoraNo verification information

The Spotted Fanaloka (scientific name: Fossa fossana) is also called the Spotted Fanaloka, but it is not a cat. It is called the S···

Eupleres goudotiiLC

Eupleres goudotii

Eupleres goudotii,Small-toothed mongoose, sharp-nosed civet, anteater

CarnivoraNo verification information

The small-toothed mongoose (scientific name: Eupleres goudotii), also known as the small-toothed mongoose or sharp-nosed civet, is···

Cryptoprocta feroxLC

Cryptoprocta ferox

Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa, Hidden Anal Civet, Hidden Spirit Cat

CarnivoraUp to 20 years

The mongoose (scientific name: Cryptoprocta ferox) is called Fossa in foreign language, and has no subspecies.The nests of the mon···

Panthera oncaLC

Panthera onca

Panthera onca,Jaguar,Jaguar, jaguar

CarnivoraAbout 22 years

The scientific name of the jaguar is Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758), and its foreign name is Jaguar, also known as the jaguar. It ···

TigonLC

Tigon

Tigon

CarnivoraNo verification information

Tigon (English name Tigon) is a hybrid of a male tiger and a female lion. It is congenitally weak and more precious than a liger.T···

Panthera leo × tigrisLC

Panthera leo × tigris

Panthera leo × tigris,liger

Carnivora10-20 years

Liger (scientific name: Panthera leo×tigris), also known as liger in English, is the offspring of a lion and a tiger. It is huge ···

Golden TigerLC

Golden Tiger

Golden Tiger,Strawberry Tiger

CarnivoraNo verification information

The golden tiger is a golden variant of the Bengal tiger. It is golden with black stripes. It is extinct in the wild and is even r···

No matching animals on this page.
Advertisement