Carnivores

Question 1

What are the two types of carnivore?

Answer 1

Obligate

Facultative (omnivores)

Question 2

What are the adaptations for a carnivorous diet?

Answer 2

Sharp teeth 
Strong jaws (sagittal crest) 
Short GI tract 
Slender body - fast running after prey
Paws

Question 3

What are the different types of carnivore teeth

Answer 3

Incisors
Canines
Pre-molars (carnassials)
Molars

Question 4

What adaptations do bears and racoons exhibit?

Answer 4

Larger bodies (slower release diet, lower MR)
Powerul limbs and claws for climbing 
Subscapularis muscle
Good sense of smell 
No carnassials

Question 5

What is the difference between torpor and hibernation?

Answer 5

Torpor - short term (hours) reduction of body temperature to conserve energy, driven by ambient temp & food availability
Hibernation - long term reduction in body temp, energy, MR etc, usually in larger species, driven by day length and hormonal changes

Question 6

What are the different types of carnivore diet

Answer 6

Whole carcass
Slab meat
Whole animal - hide & guts
Supplements 
Complete diet (powder mate up into meat alternative)

Question 7

Why cant we base captive diet on doesticated cats?

Answer 7

An imperfect model, differences in:

• Brain glucose requirement
• Meal frequency
• Metabolism
• Different GI biota
• Different dietary essentials

Question 8

On which parts do carnivores preferentially feed?

Answer 8

Wil consume all if not disturbed apart from skull and GI tract of larger prey
Preferentially eat guts and fat then muscle of back, legs, neck

Question 9

What are common ingredients of carnivore feed?

Answer 9

Horse & goat - increases GI disease
Chicken - reduces GI disease
Whole rabbit - increases vit A
A mixture is recommended

Question 10

How does carcass feeding impact a group?

Answer 10

Improves appetite
Longer feeding bout
Greater food possessiveness

Question 11

What effect can feeding of ribs have on the diet?

Answer 11

Reduces occurence of diarrhoea and lowers odds of vomiting

Question 12

What is gorge-fast?

Answer 12

A plan to match the feeding behaviour commonly seen in the wild

Question 13

What are the differences between felid and canine diets?

Answer 13

Felid higher in protein and fat

Question 14

What are the problems with soft food diets for felids?

Answer 14

Frozen and canned food more palatable but soft food can lead to periodontal disease and excess calculus deposits

Question 15

What forms of feed enrichment are availabe for carnivores?

Answer 15

Log feeding

Feed pole

Question 16

How is a panda diet different to that of other carnivores?

Answer 16

99% bamboo, very selective eaters

Question 17

Why do some zoos not carcass feed?

Answer 17

Public perception
Animal fussiness
Health/medical reasons (choke hazard)
Uneconomical for small zoo (space for whole carcass storage is limited)

Question 18

What are the enclosure priotities for carnivores?

Answer 18

Keeper safety, visitor viewing, animal welfare
Privacy needed
Height important - some arboreal

Question 19

What needs to be considered for the cubbing dens?

Answer 19

Long, tall, room for mother to lie down with arms outstretched
Has good drainage, lip to prevent young wanderig off
Not cleaned often to retain smells
Permanent fixture of enclosure

Question 20

What are the different social structures of lions, tigers, pumas, jaguars etc?

Answer 20

Lions and tigers can live in grous with adquate space

Pumars, Jaguars, Cougars, Leopards need to be solitary unless in mating pairs

Question 21

What vaccinations are used with carnivores?

Answer 21

Feline leukaemia virus - pentofel (same as domestic)

Question 22

How is breeding controlled?

Answer 22

Separation of males/females
Ligation (F); vasectomy or castration (M)
Progesterone implant or injection in F (4 months - 2 years)

Question 23

What else does hormonal control of contaception manage?

Answer 23

Behaviours - Reduced aggression in black footed cat and otters, also in african wild dogs
Also reduces time spent pacing or marking and mounting