Terrestrial Carnivores Research Articles

Long-Read Genome Sequencing Provides Molecular Insights into Scavenging and Societal Complexity in Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta.

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a large and unique terrestrial carnivore. It is a particularly fascinating species due to its distinct phenotypic traits, especially its complex social structure and scavenging lifestyle, with associated high dietary exposure to microbial pathogens. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms related to these phenotypes remain elusive. Here, we sequenced and assembled a high-quality long-read genome of the spotted hyena, with a contig N50 length of ∼13.75 Mb. Based on comparative genomics, immunoglobulin family members (e.g., IGKV4-1) showed significant adaptive duplications in the spotted hyena and striped hyena. Furthermore, immune-related genes (e.g., CD8A, LAG3, and TLR3) experienced species-specific positive selection in the spotted hyena lineage. These results suggest that immune tolerance between the spotted hyena and closely related striped hyena has undergone adaptive divergence to cope with prolonged dietary exposure to microbial pathogens from scavenging. Furthermore, we provided the potential genetic insights underlying social complexity, hinting at social behavior and cognition. Specifically, the RECNE-associated genes (e.g., UGP2 and ACTR2) in the spotted hyena genome are involved in regulation of social communication. Taken together, our genomic analyses provide molecular insights into the scavenging lifestyle and societal complexity of spotted hyenas.

Urban sharks: residency patterns of marine top predators in relation to a coastal metropolis

Understanding and ultimately predicting how marine organisms will respond to urbanization is central for effective wildlife conservation and management in the Anthropocene. Sharks are upper trophic level predators in virtually all marine environments, but if and how their behaviors are influenced by coastal urbanization remains understudied. Here, we examined space use and residency patterns of 14 great hammerheads Sphyrna mokarran, 13 bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas, and 25 nurse sharks Ginglymostoma cirratum in proximity to the coastal metropolis of Miami, Florida, using passive acoustic telemetry. Based on the terrestrial urban carnivore literature, we predicted sharks would exhibit avoidance behaviors of areas close to Miami, with residency patterns in these urban areas increasing during periods of lower human activity, such as during nocturnal hours and weekdays, and that dietary specialists (great hammerhead) would exhibit comparatively lower affinity towards highly urbanized areas relative to dietary generalists (bull and nurse shark). However, we did not find empirical support for these predictions. Space use patterns of tracked sharks were consistent with that of ‘urban adapters’ (species that exhibit partial use of urban areas). Modeling also revealed that an unmeasured spatial variable was driving considerable shark residency in areas exposed to high urbanization. We propose several hypotheses that could explain our findings, including food provisioning from shore-based activities that could be attracting sharks to urban areas. Ultimately, the lack of avoidance of urban areas by sharks documented here, as compared to terrestrial carnivores, should motivate future research in the growing field of urban ecology.

Stressor Interactions Drive Changes in the Distribution of Imperiled Terrestrial Carnivores

Stressor Interactions Drive Changes in the Distribution of Imperiled Terrestrial Carnivores

Different Evolutionary Pathways Lead to Incomplete Convergence of Elongate Body Shapes in Carnivoran Mammals.

Although convergence is often recognized as a ubiquitous feature across the Tree of Life, whether the underlying traits also exhibit similar evolutionary pathways towards convergent forms puzzles biologists. In carnivoran mammals, "elongate," "slender," and "long" are often used to describe and even to categorize mustelids (martens, polecats, and weasels), herpestids (mongooses), viverrids (civets and genets), and other carnivorans together. But just how similar these carnivorans are and whether there is convergence in the morphological component that contribute to elongation has never been assessed. Here, I found that these qualitatively described elongate carnivorans exhibited incomplete convergence towards elongate bodies compared to other terrestrial carnivorans. In contrast, the morphological components underlying body shape variation do not exhibit convergence despite evidence that these components are more elongate in elongate carnivorans compared to nonelongate carnivorans. Furthermore, these components also exhibited shorter but different phylogenetic half-lives towards more elongate adaptive peaks, indicating that different selective pressures can create multiple pathways to elongation. Incorporating the fossil record will facilitate further investigation of whether body elongation evolved adaptively or if it is simply a retained ancestral trait.[Axial skeleton; body elongation; convergent evolution; macroevolution; phylogenetic comparative methods; thoracolumbar vertebrae.].

Habitat connectivity and resource selection in an expanding bobcat (Lynx rufus) population.

Terrestrial carnivores are among the most imperiled species worldwide, yet some species are resilient and are recovering in human-dominated landscapes after decades or centuries of absence. Bobcat (Lynx rufus) populations were extirpated from much of Midwestern US in the mid-1800’s, and are currently expanding and recolonizing their former range. In this study, we investigated multi-scale habitat selection for Ohio’s expanding bobcat population, and examined habitat connectivity in order to evaluate the conduits for dispersal statewide. We used citizen observations collected between 1978 and 2019 and logistic regression to evaluate population-level habitat selection, and GPS telemetry data for 20 individuals collected between 2012 and 2014 and a distribution-weighted exponential Resource Selection Function to evaluate individual-level habitat selection within home ranges. At the population level, bobcats selected for higher amounts of forest and pasture (at a 50 km2 scale) and herbaceous vegetation (at 15–50 50 km2 scales), thus overall heterogeneous forested habitat. At individual (home range) level, bobcats selected for forested habitats with low road density and farther away from high traffic roads; they also showed weak selection for open habitat at the home range level. Male home ranges were significantly greater than female home ranges. Lastly, we used the population-level spatial outputs (i.e. habitat suitability map) to parameterize habitat connectivity models using circuit theory in the program Circuitscape. We tested three relationships between habitat suitability and resistance to movement and used a subset of data on potential dispersing individuals to evaluate which relationship performed best. All three relationships performed almost equally well, and we calculated a weighted averaged connectivity map as our final map. Habitat was highly permeable to movements between core areas of two genetically distinct subpopulations located in southeastern Ohio. We also identified potential dispersal corridors from the core areas to other regions of Ohio dominated by agriculture and suburban development via forested riparian corridors. Overall, our analysis offers new information on habitat selection and connectivity in a rebounding felid population and offers important ecological information for wildlife management strategies. We recommend that the suitability and connectivity models should be periodically updated until the population reaches an equilibrium, and be integrated with data from neighboring states for a comprehensive assessment of a conservation success story.

Impact of human disturbance on temporal partitioning within carnivore communities

Abstract Interspecific competition is an important evolutionary force, influencing interactions between species and shaping the composition of biological communities. In mammalian carnivores, to reduce the risks of negative encounters between competitors, species can employ a strategy of temporal partitioning, adapting activity patterns to limit synchronous activity. This strategy of non‐human competitor avoidance, however, may be influenced by the expansion of human activities, which has driven wild mammals towards nocturnality. We hypothesise that the disruption of temporal niche partitioning by humans and their activities could increase temporal overlap between carnivores, enhancing interspecific competition. We reviewed the published literature systematically and employed generalised linear models to evaluate quantitatively the relative influence of a range of human, meteorological and ecological variables on coefficients of temporal overlap within mammalian terrestrial carnivore communities (orders Carnivora and Didelphimorphia) on a global scale. None of the models investigated showed evidence of an impact of humans on temporal partitioning between carnivores on a global scale. This illustrates that temporal avoidance of humans and competitors does not always follow a consistent pattern and that its strength may be context‐dependent and relative to other dimensions of niche partitioning (spatial and trophic). Similarly, the regulation of activity patterns may be strongly site‐specific and may be influenced by a combination of biotic and abiotic characteristics. Temporal avoidance of both humans and competitors by carnivores may take the form of short, reactive responses that do not impact activity patterns in the longer term. Although we did not detect a global disruption of temporal partitioning due to human disturbance, carnivore communities may still experience an increase in interspecific competition in other niche dimensions. Further research would benefit from using controlled experimental designs and investigating multiple dimensions of niche partitioning simultaneously. Finally, we recommend complementing the coefficient of temporal overlap with other metrics of fine‐scale spatiotemporal interactions.

Exploratory and territorial behavior in a reintroduced population of Iberian lynx

In reintroduction projects, an analysis of dispersal, exploratory movements and territorial behavior of the species concerned offers valuable information on the adaptive management of threatened species and provides a basis for the management of future reintroductions. This is the case of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) an endemic and endangered species reintroduced in Extremadura (Spain) in 2014. We analysed spatial data from 32 individuals just after their reintroduction. Our findings show exploratory movements sufficient to colonise and connect population nuclei within a radius of about 50 km of the reintroduction area. No significant differences were found in the exploratory movements capacity or in any directionality of males and females. Our results showed an effect of sex on the sizes of the territories established, as well as an inverse relationship between them and the time elapsed since release. No effects of rabbit abundance and lynx density on the size of territories are occurring during the early stages of reintroduction. On average, the territories of reintroduced individuals were less stable than those previously described in natural populations. Findings indicate that the reintroduced population has successfully been established but it takes more than 5 years to stabilize the territories in the area. Exploratory movements of reintroduced lynx can be large and in any direction, even when there is still a lot of high quality habitat available, which should be taken into account when reintroducing species, especially terrestrial carnivores.

Environmental and anthropogenic factors synergistically affect space use of jaguars

Large terrestrial carnivores have undergone some of the largest population declines and range reductions of any species, which is of concern as they can have large effects on ecosystem dynamics and function.1-4 The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the apex predator throughout the majority of the Neotropics; however, its distribution has been reduced by >50% and it survives in increasingly isolated populations.5 Consequently, the range-wide management of the jaguar depends upon maintaining core populations connected through multi-national, transboundary cooperation, which requires understanding the movement ecology and space use of jaguars throughout their range.6-8 Using GPS telemetry data for 111 jaguars from 13 ecoregions within the four biomes that constitute the majority of jaguar habitat, we examined the landscape-level environmental and anthropogenic factors related to jaguar home range size and movement parameters. Home range size decreased with increasing net productivity and forest cover and increased with increasing road density. Speed decreased with increasing forest cover with no sexual differences, while males had more directional movements, but tortuosity in movements was not related to any landscape factors. We demonstrated a synergistic relationship between landscape-scale environmental and anthropogenic factors and jaguars' spatial needs, which has applications to the conservation strategy for the species throughout the Neotropics. Using large-scale collaboration, we overcame limitations from small sample sizes typical in large carnivore research to provide a mechanism to evaluate habitat quality for jaguars and an inferential modeling framework adaptable to the conservation of other large terrestrial carnivores.

Room to roam for African lions Panthera leo: a review of the key drivers of lion habitat use and implications for conservation

Abstract Globally, large terrestrial carnivores (Carnivora) have suffered precipitous declines in population and range. Today, they must persist in increasingly isolated natural habitat patches within a human‐dominated matrix. Effective conservation aimed at supporting carnivores in such landscapes requires species‐specific understanding of habitat requirements. We present results from a review of the published literature to assess the current state of knowledge regarding habitat preferences of the African lion Panthera leo, with the aim of identifying common drivers of habitat use across contexts. Using the Web of Science, we identified 154 usable articles and extracted information relating to study topic, location, habitats described, land‐use type, and any documented habitat preferences. Only 31 studies documented evidence of habitat use, and collectively, they suggested that preferences for specific habitat types were varied and context‐specific. The importance of prey abundance and proximity to water was highlighted in multiple studies. Anthropogenic factors interfered with expected patterns of habitat use. There was evident bias in study locations: 83% of the habitat‐use studies were based in only three countries, and 70% were focussed on protected or managed areas. Our synthesis suggests that lions demonstrate behavioural plasticity in habitat use in response to anthropogenic pressures. To understand the limits of this plasticity and to manage Africa’s changing landscapes effectively for roaming lions, future research should be focussed on analysis of habitat use outside protected areas, taking into account gradients of distance to water, prey abundance, and anthropogenic risk.

Ecological Drivers of Carnivoran Body Shape Evolution.

AbstractMorphological diversity is often attributed as adaptations to distinct ecologies. Although biologists have long hypothesized that distinct ecologies drive the evolution of body shape, these relationships are rarely tested across macroevolutionary scales in mammals. Here, I tested hypotheses that locomotor, hunting, and dietary ecologies influenced body shape evolution in carnivorans, a morphologically and ecologically diverse clade of mammals. I found that adaptive models with ecological trait regimes were poor predictors of carnivoran body shape and the underlying morphological components that contribute to body shape variation. Instead, the best-supported model exhibited clade-based evolutionary shifts, indicating that the complexity and variation of body shape landscape cannot be effectively captured by a priori ecological regimes. However, ecological adaptations of body shapes cannot be ruled out, as aquatic and terrestrial carnivorans exhibited opposite allometric patterns of body shape that may be driven by different gravitational constraints associated with these different environments. Similar to body size, body shape is a prominent feature of vertebrate morphology that may transcend one-to-one mapping relationships between morphology and ecological traits, enabling species with distinct body shapes to exploit similar resources and exhibit similar ecologies. Together, these results demonstrate that the multidimensionality of both body shape morphology and ecology makes it difficult to disentangle the complex relationship among morphological evolution, ecological diversity, and phylogeny across macroevolutionary scales.

Molecular Characteristics of Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 with High Sequence Similarity between Wild and Domestic Carnivores in Taiwan.

Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (CPPV-1) is a DNA virus causing gastrointestinal disease and immunosuppression in various terrestrial carnivores. Domestic dogs and cats are considered the primary CPPV-1 reservoirs. The habitat overlap of wild carnivores and free-roaming dogs increases the threat of CPPV-1 transmission between them. This study explored the CPPV-1 distribution among wild carnivores in Taiwan through PCR screening and compared the partial capsid protein (VP2) gene sequences from wild and domestic carnivores. In total, 181 samples were collected from 32 masked palm civets (Paguma larvata), 63 Chinese ferret badgers (Melogale moschata), and 86 crab-eating mongooses (Herpestes urva), from 2015 to 2019 were screened for CPPV-1. The average prevalence of CPPV-1 was 17.7% (32/181), with the highest prevalence in masked palm civets (37.5%). In addition, a masked palm civet was coinfected with two CPPV-1 strains. Among the 33 partial VP2 gene sequences, 23 were identical to the sequences amplified from domestic dogs and cats in Asia, and the remaining 10 were identified for the first time. This study supported the circulation of CPPV-1 strains with the same genomic features as domestic carnivores that are also in wild carnivores from the same environment in Taiwan by molecular data. Therefore, further population control and health management of free-roaming domestic carnivores are recommended.

Darting towards Storm Shelter: A minute dinosaur trackway from southern Africa

Theropod dinosaurs are considered the main terrestrial carnivores in the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Their rise to dominance has been linked to, among others, body size changes in their early history, especially across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary. However, to qualitatively assess such temporal trends, robust skeletal and trace fossil data sets are needed globally. The richly fossiliferous southern African continental rock record in the main Karoo Basin offers an unparalleled perspective for such investigations. Herein, by documenting a newly discovered Early Jurassic trackway of very small, functionally tridactyl tracks near Storm Shelter (Eastern Cape) in South Africa, the track record can be expanded. Based on ichnological measurements at the ichnosite and digital 3D models, the footprint dimensions (length, width, splay), locomotor parameters (step length, stride, speed), and body size estimates of the trackmaker are presented. In comparison to other similar tracks, these footprints are not only the smallest Grallator-like tracks in the Clarens Formation, but also the most elongated dinosaur footprints in southern Africa to date. The tracks also show that the small-bodied bipedal trackmaker dashed across the wet sediment surface at an estimated running speed of ~12.5 km/h. During the dash, either as a predator or as a prey, the trackmaker’s small feet sunk hallux-deep into the sediment. The tracking surface is overgrown by fossilised microbial mats, which likely enhanced the footprint preservation. Based on track morphometrics and the regional dinosaur skeletal record, the trackmakers are attributed to Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis (formerly Syntarsus rhodesiensis), a small-to-medium-sized, early theropod common in southern Africa.Significance:
 
 A newly discovered Early Jurassic theropod trackway in South Africa contains not only the smallest tracks in the Clarens Formation, but also the most elongated dinosaur footprints in southern Africa to date.
 The tracks show that the small bipedal trackmaker dashed across the wet sediment surface at an estimated running speed of ~12.5 km per hour.
 During the run, the trackmaker’s feet sunk so deeply into the sediment that even the forwards-directed halluces were impressed.
 
 Open data set: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13007240.v1

Do Roads Alter the Trophic Behavior of the Mesocarnivore Community Living Close to Them?

Roads have impacts on the fauna arising from habitat fragmentation, roadkill and the barrier effect. Furthermore, roads lead species to change their activity with repercussions on predator–prey interactions and trigger indirect effects that are currently unknown. This study analyzes the effect of a motorway on the trophic behavior of the terrestrial carnivore community of its surroundings. Monthly scat sampling was conducted over a year at three distances from a motorway (0–50 m, 500–550 m and 1000–1050 m). We collected 498 scats, these originating from red fox (39.16%), cat (24.50%), stone marten (24.09%) and badger (12.25%). The relative abundance of the trophic resources in them was estimated together with the trophic diversity and niche overlap of the carnivore species. The results showed a distinct effect of distance from the road on trophic behavior of carnivores, as well as differences between species and seasons. The scats nearest the road had 10–20% more biomass of small mammals, equivalent in relative terms to a 21–48% increase in small mammals’ biomass when compared with scats collected further from the road. This finding indicates changes in predator–prey interactions near the road and shows that the human-generated structural and functional changes to ecosystems spread throughout trophic networks.

Crocuta crocuta(Carnivora: Hyaenidae)

AbstractCrocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777), the spotted hyena, is a large, widespread, terrestrial carnivore with a female-dominant social system. It ranges from about 17°N to 28°S and lives in diverse habitats from savannas to swamps (but not rain forests) and up to 4,000 m in elevation. As assessed in 2014, C. crocuta is listed as “Least Concern” (LC) by The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species version 2016.1.

Darting towards Storm Shelter: a minute dinosaur trackway from southern Africa

Theropod dinosaurs are considered the main terrestrial carnivores in the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Their rise to dominance has been linked to, among others, body size changes in their early history, especially across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary. However, to qualitatively assess such temporal trends, robust skeletal and trace fossil data sets are needed globally. The richly fossiliferous southern African continental rock record in the main Karoo Basin offers an unparalleled perspective for such investigations. Herein, by documenting a newly discovered Early Jurassic trackway of very small, functionally tridactyl tracks near Storm Shelter (Eastern Cape) in South Africa, the track record can be expanded. Based on ichnological measurements at the ichnosite and digital 3D models, the footprint dimensions (length, width, splay), locomotor parameters (step length, stride, speed), and body size estimates of the trackmaker are presented. In comparison to other similar tracks, these footprints are not only the smallest Grallator-like tracks in the Clarens Formation, but also the most elongated dinosaur footprints in southern Africa to date. The tracks also show that the small-bodied bipedal trackmaker dashed across the wet sediment surface at an estimated running speed of ~12.5 km/h. During the dash, either as a predator or as a prey, the trackmaker’s small feet sunk hallux-deep into the sediment. The tracking surface is overgrown by fossilised microbial mats, which likely enhanced the footprint preservation. Based on track morphometrics and the regional dinosaur skeletal record, the trackmakers are attributed to Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis (formerly Syntarsus rhodesiensis), a small-to-medium-sized, early theropod common in southern Africa.Significance: A newly discovered Early Jurassic theropod trackway in South Africa contains not only the smallest tracks in the Clarens Formation, but also the most elongated dinosaur footprints in southern Africa to date. The tracks show that the small bipedal trackmaker dashed across the wet sediment surface at an estimated running speed of ~12.5 km per hour. During the run, the trackmaker’s feet sunk so deeply into the sediment that even the forwards-directed halluces were impressed. Open data set: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13007240.v1

Odor discrimination in terrestrial and aquatic environments in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) living in captivity

Pinnipeds, as any mammal species, use multimodal signals, including olfactory ones, to ensure vital functions. Thus, some pinniped species seem able to use olfaction in both social and foraging contexts and to discriminate between different odors in air including both natural and artificial odors, but studies on that topic remain scarce. Here, we studied the olfactory capabilities of California sea lions living in captivity at La Flèche Zoo (France) in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. We used two categories of odors: social odors (from familiar individuals of the same group, unfamiliar individuals from another Zoo, animal zookeepers and a terrestrial carnivore) and non-social odors (food and odors identified as repellents in certain vertebrates). Several behavioral parameters were measured and analyzed as the number and duration of contact with the odor, mouth openings, vocalizations (air only) and air bubble production (water only). Our results, although limited by the low number of animals monitored (n = 5), suggest that California sea lions are able to discriminate between different odors both in the air and under water. In the aquatic environment, the process allowing the perception of odors remains to be characterized. Applications to this work could be considered in captive conditions as well as in the wild.

Extensive daily movement rates measured in territorial arctic foxes.

An animal's movement rate is a central metric of movement ecology as it correlates with its energy acquisition and expenditure. Obtaining accurate estimates of movement rate is challenging, especially in small highly mobile species where GPS battery size limits fix frequency, and geolocation technology limits positions’ precision. In this study, we used high GPS fix frequencies to evaluate movement rates in eight territorial arctic foxes on Bylot Island (Nunavut, Canada) in July–August 2018. We also assessed the effects of fix interval and location error on estimated movement rates. We obtained 96 fox‐days of data with a fix interval of 4 min and 12 fox‐days with an interval of 30 s. We subsampled the latter dataset to simulate six longer fix intervals ranging from 1 to 60 min and estimated daily distances traveled by adding linear distances between successive locations. When estimated with a fix interval of 4 min, daily distances traveled by arctic foxes averaged 51.9 ± 11.7 km and reached 76.5 km. GPS location error averaged 11 m. Daily distances estimated at fix intervals longer than 4 min were greatly underestimated as fix intervals increased, because of linear estimation of tortuous movements. Conversely, daily distances estimated at fix intervals as small as 30 s were likely overestimated due to location error. To our knowledge, no other territorial terrestrial carnivore was shown to routinely travel daily distances as large as those observed here for arctic foxes. Our results generate new hypotheses and research directions regarding the foraging ecology of highly mobile predators. Furthermore, our empirical assessment of the effects of fix interval and location error on estimated movement rates can guide the design and interpretation of future studies on the movement ecology of small opportunistic foragers.

Patterns and drivers of genetic diversity among Felidae species

Since the late Pleistocene, species in the order Carnivora have experienced a drastic reduction in their populations and distributions. However, the global genetic diversity patterns among terrestrial carnivores have not been investigated. Using felid species as model, we characterized the genetic variation within their populations among continents, between tropical and non-tropical regions, and in relation to human activities. We then evaluated how species traits influence the observed patterns of interspecific genetic diversity. Through data collected from 135 population genetic studies conducted on 28 wild felid species (70% of the described species), data analyses using GLMM modelling showed that the populations in Africa and South America have significantly higher heterozygosity and allelic richness than those in other continents. The Asiatic lions have the least genetic diversity compared to other felids in the world. Threatened species have significantly lower genetic diversity compared to low-risk species as predicted. However, genetic diversity was not related to species body mass or geographic range. We found generation length to be an important variable explaining genetic diversity variation, in which species with short generation length have reduced genetic diversity. Furthemore, the combination of generation length, habitat and home range size captures the variation in heterozygosity significantly better. Species dependent on closed-habitat and with large home range size have reduced heterozygosity compared to their counterparts. Our results allow to identify priority felid species vulnerable to loss of genetic diversity for further conservation studies, and provide an insight into the possible genetic consequences of the late Pleistocene extinctions.

Competition and coexistence among terrestrial mammalian carnivores

Competition and coexistence among terrestrial mammalian carnivores

On the Dental Formulae of Brazilian Terrestrial Carnivora (Mammalia).

Key compendia of Neotropical mammals contain conflicting information regarding the dental formulae of Brazilian carnivores. The objective of the present study was to review the dental formulae of Brazilian Canidae, Felidae, Mephitidae, Mustelidae and Procyonidae. We illustrate the dental morphology of all Brazilian genera, and report intra and interspecific tooth variation, and supernumerary teeth. We examined skulls and mandibles of 710 Brazilian terrestrial carnivores, including juvenile and adult specimens. Adults of all genera have three incisors and one canine in each quadrant. Members of the canid family have the following postcanine formula P 4/4 and M 2/3, except Speothos venaticus (M 1/2); felids have P 3/2 and M 1/1; mephitids present P 2/3 and M 1/2; mustelids show P 2-4/2-3 and M 1/2; and finally, procyonids have P 4/4 and M 2/2, except Potos flavus (P 3/3). Supernumerary teeth were found in individuals of seven genera in every family except Procyonidae. Although our results corroborate previous descriptions based on vouchered material, we detected several incongruences being replicated, possibly due to the lack of examination of museum vouchers, propagating erroneous information without critical analysis. Finally, we present a dichotomous key based on the review of dental morphology.