Section II. Plantigrada (Arctoidea)

The Carnivorous animals belonging to this section apply the whole or the greater part of the sole of the foot to the ground (fig. 424, A); and the portion of the sole so employed is destitute of hairs in most instances (the sole is hairy in the Polar Bear). From the structure of the foot, the Plantigrada have great power of rearing themselves up on the hind-feet. They approach the Insectivora in their comparatively slow movements and their nocturnal habits, and in possessing no caecum. They mostly hibernate, and their feet are always pentadactylous.

The typical family of the Plantigrade Carnivora is that of the Ursidae. or Bears, in which the entire sole of the foot is applied to the ground in walking. The Ursidae. are much less purely carnivorous than the majority of the order, and, in accordance with their omnivorous habits, the teeth do not exhibit the typical carnivorous characters. The incisors and canines have the ordinary carnivorous form, but the " carnas-sial" teeth have tuberculate crowns, instead of a sharp cutting-edge. The dental formula in Ursus (fig. 428) is:

The dental formula of the Bears is thus the same as that of the Dogs ; but the second and third praemolars are small and usually deciduous; while the first praemolar is also often caducous. The last praemolar and all the molars have tuberculate crowns, and the carnassials are not of specially large size, these characters being equally present in the flesh-eating Polar Bear and the strictly vegetarian Sun-bear.

The claws are formed for digging, large, strong, and curved, but are not retractile. The tongue is smooth; the ears small, erect, and rounded; the tail short; the nose forms a movable truncated snout; and the pupil is circular.

As shown by their smooth tongues and tuberculate molars, the Bears are not peculiarly or strictly carnivorous. They eat flesh when they can obtain it, but a great part of their food is of a vegetable nature.

Fig. 428. - Dentition of the Polar Bear (Thalassarctos maritimus).

The Bears are very generally distributed over the globe, Australia and Africa alone having no representative of the family. The common Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) was at one time an inhabitant of Britain, and also existed over the whole of Europe. At the present day the Brown Bear is only found in the great forests of the north of Europe and in Asia, and in the Arctic portions of North America. It feeds on roots, fruits, honey, insects, and, when it can obtain them, upon other Mammals. It attains a great age, and hibernates during the winter months. Very nearly allied to the Brown Bear is the Black Bear of America (Ursus Americanus). Both are of some commercial value, being hunted for the sake of their skins, fat, and tongues. A much larger American species is the Grizzly Bear (Ursus ferox), found in many parts of the American continent. It is about twice as large as the ordinary Bear, but it is said to subsist to a great extent upon vegetable food, such as acorns. The most remarkable, however, of the Bears is the great White Bear (Thalassarctos maritimus), which is exclusively a native of the Arctic regions. It is a very large and powerful animal, the fur of which is cream-coloured. The paws are very long, and the soles of the feet are covered with coarse hair, giving the. animal a firm foothold upon the ice. The Polar Bear differs from the other Ursidae in being exclusively carnivorous, since vegetable food would be generally unattainable. It is as much at home in the water as on land, and lives chiefly upon seals and fish, and the carcasses of Cetaceans.

Amongst the other Bears may be mentioned the Sun-bears (Helarctos) of the Malayan Archipelago, the Honey-bears (Prochilus or Melursus) of India, and the Spectacled Bear (Helarctos or Tremarctos ornatus) of the Peruvian and Chilian Andes, the sole representative of the Ursidae in South America.

Fig. 429. - Skull of Racoon (Procyon lotor). (After Giebel.)

The family Procyonidoe includes a number of small American Carnivores, which are nearly allied to the Bears. The Racoons (Procyon, fig. 429) are natives of tropical and northern America, and have a decided external resemblance to the Bears. They have tolerably long tails, however, and sharp muzzles. The commonest species is the Procyon lotor of North America, which derives its specific name from its habit of soaking its food in water before eating it. The dental formula of Procyon is:

The Coatis (Nasua) are very closely allied to the Racoons, and are exclusively confined to the American continent. The Kinkajous (Cercoleptes) are inhabitants of South America, extending their range northwards to Mexico, and, as is the case with so many of the animals of this continent, they are adapted for an arboreal life, to which end their tails are prehensile. They appear to represent in the western hemisphere the Lemurs of the Old World, to which they present certain points of affinity. Forming a transition between the Procyonidae and the Civets (Viverridae) is the curious Cacomixle (Bassaris astuta), which is a native of California, Texas, and parts of Mexico, and is arboreal in its habits.

Nearly related to the preceding is the family of the AEluridae, comprising the well-known "Wah" or "Panda" (AElurus fulgens) of India and Thibet, and the AEluropus of the latter country. The former is a cat-like animal, chestnut-brown above and black inferiorly, with a white face and ears, and the latter is almost completely white in colour. Like the Kinkajous, but unlike the Coatis and Racoons, the AElurus has retractile claws.

The only remaining family of the Plantigrada is that of the Melidae or Badgers, characterised by their elongated bodies and short legs, and forming a transition between the Ursidae and Mustelidae. They agree with the latter group in the possession of odoriferous anal glands. The dental formula of the Badger is as follows (Baird):

The first praemolar in the lower jaw is very minute, and is soon lost; the upper carnassial has a well-marked internal tubercle; and the upper molar is of comparatively large size, nearly equalling the carnassial in its dimensions.

The common Badger (Meles taxus), which may be regarded as the type of this group, occurs in Britain, and is one of the most inoffensive of animals. It is nocturnal in its habits, and is a very miscellaneous feeder, not refusing anything edible which may come in its way, though living mainly on roots and fruits. The Badger burrows with great ease, and can bite very severely. The European Badger is represented in the United States and Canada by the "Siffleur" (Taxidea Labradorica), and in the hilly parts of India by the Indian Badger (Meles or Aretonyx collaris). The Glutton (Gulo luseus), often called the Wolverine, is of common occurrence in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. It is from two to three feet in length, and though doubtless a tolerably voracious animal, it is certainly not so much so as to deserve the name of Glutton. The Grison (Galictis) is a closely-allied form which is found in South America. These two genera are often placed among the Mustelidae. The Ratels or Honey-badgers (Mellivora) are much like the common Badger in their habits and appearance, but they have only one lower molar (the carnassial) on each side. They are natives of southern and eastern Africa, and India. The Skunks (Mephitis) are sometimes placed in this family, to which they are allied through the singular Mydaus of Java and Sumatra.