PSYO 2160 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Canidae, Canada Lynx, Felidae
9 May 2018
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Felids
Felids - Cat Family
o Carnivore - when we say carnivore in biology, we don't just mean animals that eat meat per
say. It is a reference to carnivora which is a genus. This is a group that eats mostly meat
o Many of the species in this genus are actually omnivores such as coyotes, bears,
chimps, baboons and racoons
Origins
o One of the two branches of carnivora
o Split very early on in evolution of the carnivora genus
o There are the cats and the dogs
o Mustelids are an early shoot off of the dog branch
o Hyenas are actually closer to cats
o Cheetah's or acinonyx are their own group because there are some characteristics that
don’t fit
o Can't retract their claws, they have dog like features, they are less aggressive
towards humans and are slightly more social
o Most cats are very solidary, but lions are actually the most social of the
felids because they live in groups
North American Species
o Cougar are actually very common in the Maritimes
o Bobcat is the most common felid in the Maritimes
o They are extremely discrete cats so they are hard to find/see
o Canadian Lynx are different, you don't see them everywhere
o You can find them in the Rockies and in the highlands of the Maritimes (Cape
Bretton and New Brunswick)
Parallels
o Specialists Vs Generalists
o Generalists are species that are able to adapt and do well in any habitat such as
humans and rats. They have a tendency to adapt to major disruptions and are
therefore less likely to go extinct
o Bobcats are generalists, even though they are very close to the Canadian Lynx.
They will eat anything and are not picky
o Coyotes are the canid version of a generalists
o Specialists are much more picky in their diet and habitat. If there is a disruption in
any of these two things, it causes harm
o Lynx are specialists, they like to eat hare
o Wolves are specialists as well
Cougar - felis concolor
o Biologists have seen cougars, once it was with a mother and two cubs
o Meaning they are reproducing
o Note: Average coyote is 35lbs coyote
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