Everything about Procyonidae totally explained
Procyonidae is a New World
family of the
order Carnivora. It includes the
raccoons,
coatis,
kinkajous,
olingos,
ringtails and
cacomistles. Procyonids inhabit a wide range of environments, and are generally
omnivorous.
Characteristics
Procyonids are smallish animals, with slender bodies and long tails. Except for the kinkajou, all procyonids have banded tails, and distinct facial markings. These are especially visible in the raccoons. Like bears, procyonids are
plantigrade, walking on the soles of their feet. Most species have non-retractile claws.
Because of their omnivorous diet, procyonids have lost some of the adaptations for flesh-eating found in their carnivorous relatives. While they do have
carnassial teeth, these are poorly developed in most species, especially the raccoons. Apart from the kinkajou, procyonids have the
dental formula:
While coatis are
diurnal, all other procyonids are
nocturnal. They are mostly solitary animals, and the mother raises litters of up to four young on her own.
Evolution
Fossils belonging to the genus
Bassariscus, which includes the modern ringtail and cacomistle, have been identified from the
Miocene epoch, around twenty million years ago. It has been suggested that early procyonids were an offshoot of the
canids that adapted to a more omnivorous diet. These data are not yet reflected in the classification scheme, which groups kinkajous and olingos together on the basis of similarities in
morphology which are now known to be an example of
parallel evolution.
There is considerable uncertainty over the correct classification of several members. The
Red Panda was previously classified in this family, but some experts, including Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn M. Reeder, classify it as a member of the bear family (
Ursidae) or in its own family the
Ailuridae. The status of the various
olingos is disputed: they may all be better regarded as
subspecies of
Bassaricyon gabbii.
Because of their general build, the
Procyonidae are often viewed as smaller cousins of the bear family. This is apparent in their German names: a raccoon is called a
Waschbär (washing bear, as he "washes" his food before eating), a coati is a
Nasenbär (nose-bear) while a
Kinkajou is a
Honigbär (honey-bear). Dutch follows suit, calling the animals
wasbeer,
neusbeer and
rolstaartbeer respectively.
- FAMILY PROCYONIDAE
- Subfamily Procyoninae (9 species in 4 genera)
- raccoons, Procyon
- Coatis, Nasua
- Mountain Coatis, Nasuella
- Ringtails and Cacomistles, Bassariscus
- Subfamily Potosinae (6 species in 2 genera)
- Kinkajous, Potos
- Olingos, Bassaricyon
Further Information
Get more info on 'Procyonidae'.
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