Comments on: A Field Guide to ALL of the Carnivores! (Almost) https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/ Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:29:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509793 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:29:29 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509793 OK, it seems that the hardcover is just a different cover, otherwise its the same.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509792 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:24:51 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509792 I shall look into that.

]]> By: TheBrummell https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509791 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:52:33 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509791 Is there a major difference between the hardcover and paperback versions of this book? I added the paperback to my Amazon wishlist, next time I’m feeling spendy I’ll probably pick it up. But if the hardcover includes substantially more colour illustrations or the range maps or something, it might be worth the tripled price.

]]> By: Michael https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509790 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:46:58 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509790 Thanks guys for all the info. You just gotta love the internet!

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509789 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:38:23 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509789 Michael, members of insectivora eat 100% meat, and as pointed out, microchioptra. And whatever order tasmanian devils are in, possibly?

]]> By: Joe https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509788 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:31:29 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509788 Michael,

Then if it is other terrestrial mammal species you are curious about then as I mentioned above the bats seem to be the other group where carnivory has sprung up. Only 1% of bat species are full time carnivores. Here are the links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_Bat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_False_Vampire_Bat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_noctule

Oh I just remembered that marsupials have some carnivores in their ranks particularly the tasmanian devil and the quoll. In ancient times there was also a marsupial lion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacoleo

]]> By: Michael https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509787 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:23:59 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509787 Joe, I didn’t see your comment 18 until after my comment 19. Thanks for the info.

So it really does seem that outside of the seas, where just about everything eats anything it can catch, that meat eating among mammals is kinda rare. Hmmm. More food for thought! (Sorry for the bad pun, I couldn’t help myself.)

]]> By: Michael https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509786 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:12:11 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509786 Good answers!

Let’s see if I can translate Greg’s very polite response to something more blunt:
Mike was wrong, Mike was wrong, and, Mike was wrong, apparently. lol!

After reading your link and some other sources I think I see a little wiggle room (Homo Erectus perhaps, maybe, it’s possible, didn’t get fire until after the 2 million year ago mark) but I gotta face it: I was wrong.

Still, my most important point was that you gave me something to think about, and that certainly remains true. 🙂

btw – This is driving me crazy with curiosity so I’ll ask again for any input from any Greg readers (even Mrs Newitt whoever you are) Does anyone know of a terrestrial mammal species, outside of the Orders of Carnivores and Primates, that is primarily a meat eater? With all the many mammals out there could it be that there aren’t any examples of a meat eating species that evolved from previously herbivorous ancestors? If that’s the case it says something about evolution. What it says exactly I don’t know, but it kinda seems like it might be significant.

]]> By: joe https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509785 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:57:55 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509785 Michael,

If you consider fish as prey for carnivores then cetaceans would be seen as a carnivorous clade as well. However if you are one who thinks carnivores and piscivores are distinct then orcas would be easily be the most carnivorous cetaceans. They can kill sea birds, seals and sea lions and other cetaceans including baleen whales!

Some bat species as well are full time carnivores.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_Bat
The Greater Noctule bat is also known to feed on migrating songbirds by night.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1784064/?tool=pmcentrez

So outside of primates and carnivores, carnivory is surprisingly rare in mammals.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509784 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:58:41 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/11/27/a-field-guide-to-all-of-the-ca/#comment-509784 Good questions.

Homo erectus had fire, cooked its food, and even though they lived in a much wider range of habitats than other earlier hominds, they still didn’t go into the really cold places, apparently.

Here’s some relevant info: http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2007/12/cooking_and_human_evolution.php

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