Caniformia

Caniformia is a suborder of the order Carnivora. It contains all the dog-like mammals: Unlike the cat-like Feliformia, these animals have claws that are unable to contract. This group contains bears, seals, and true dogs, and more.

Caniforms Temporal range: Palaeocene- Recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia Kretzoi, 1943
Families
Ailuridae (red pandas) Amphicyonidae (bear-dogs, extinct) Canidae (dogs and foxes) Mephitidae (skunks and stink badgers) Mustelidae (weasels, otters, badgers) Odobenidae (walrus) Otariidae (eared seals) Phocidae (earless seals) Procyonidae (raccoons, coatis, olingos) Ursidae (bears)

The other suborder of Carnivora is the cat-like Feliformia.

Classification

• Suborder Caniformia ("dog-like")
  • Family Canidae: Foxes, Wolves, and Dogs
  • Family Ursidae: Bears
  • Family Ailuridae: Red Panda
  • Family Mephitidae: Skunks
  • Family Mustelidae: Weasels, Otters, and Badgers
  • Family Procyonidae: Raccoons
  • Superfamily Pinnipedia
    • Family Odobenidae: Walruses
    • Family Otariidae: Eared seals
    • Family Phocidae: Earless seals

Cladogram

Caniformia	Amphicyonidae† Canidae    Arctoidea       Ursoidea    Hemicyonidae† Ursidae Pinnipedia Enaliarctidae†     Phocidae     Otariidae Odobenidae    Musteloidea        Ailuridae     Mephitidae     Procyonidae Mustelidae

Caniformia Media

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  Polar bear, the largest terrestrial caniform

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  Miacis is the earliest known member of the order Carnivora.

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  New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri)

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  Common raccoon (Procyon lotor)

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  Ysengrinia americana.

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  African golden wolf

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  Ursus nasutus = Ursus americanus

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  Enaliarctos mealsi (white background)

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  .mw-parser-output .smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}Fig. 230.—Common Seal. Phoca vitulina. × ⅛. (From Parker and Haswell's Zoology.)

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  Color lithograph of sea lion.

Other websites

• Taxonomicon