IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group Library

IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library

View printer friendly
Kleiman, D.G.; Eisenberg, J.F.
Comparisons of canid and felid social systems from an evolutionary perspective
1973 Animal Behaviour (21): 637-659
Canids and felids are compared regarding evolutionary history, distribution, habitat preferences, morphology and behaviour. Factors permitting and promoting sociality in both families are discussed, and communication mechanisms within each sensory modality compared. A solitary existence is compatible with felid specializations, the mother and young being the basic social unit. Canid specializations have permitted the development of a pair bond and male provisioning of young. As an adaptation to hunting large herbivorous prey, an increase in size occurred in the felids, but canids developed sophisticated pack-hunting techniques. Group structure in canids is based on long-term affiliations between a pair and matured offspring, while in the lion, the only truly social felid, it is based on a mother and maturing daughters.
	PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here