A mesocarnivore is an animal whose diet consists of 30–70% meat with the balance consisting of non-vertebrate foods which may include insects, fungi, fruits, other plant material and any food that is available to them. Mesocarnivores are from a large family group of mammalian carnivores and vary from small to medium sized, which are often less than fifteen kilograms, the human is a notable exception. Mesocarnivores are seen today among the Canidae (coyotes, foxes), Viverridae (civets), Mustelidae (martens, tayra), Procyonidae (ringtail, raccoon), Mephitidae (skunks), and Herpestidae (some mongooses). The red fox is also the most common of the mesocarnivores in Europe and has a high population density in the areas they reside. In North America, some mesocarnivores are in danger of being over hunted for their pelts. This has led to efforts to help protect and conserve the mesocarnivores in the area which have been largely successful thus far. These animals play an essential role in the function and system of the ecosystem, since the elimination of apex predators.
Evolution Mesocarnivores, as a part of the mammalian carnivore family, play a large role in the ecosystem, due to their prey-drive effects and impact on its functionality and structure. They are an important part of the ecological function, as their small to medium size allows them to disperse seeds that hypercarnivores cannot. Mesocarnivores transport seeds in open spaces, as far as one kilometre and disperse seeds within 600 to 750 metres of each other. They can influence other native carnivores by predation and competition in the ecosystem, and can lead to a reduction or possible extinction of prey species and affect geographical distribution, changing the structure of the ecosystem. Mesocarnivores also serve other ecological roles such as their position in the food web and disease mitigation. Mesocarnivores' habitats are rapidly changing due to urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and deforestation, which is a threat to survival for these animals, due to habitat loss and can cause a decrease in species. Some mesocarnivores have adapted very quickly to the constantly changing habitat conditions, compared to other mesocarnivores, for example the coyote (Canis latrans) in Northeast North America. Many carnivores have different locomotor movements and can easily adapt to a range of habitats and source various foods.
Characteristics
Behaviour and activity In some mesocarnivores, including the masked palm civet and hog badger, activity patterns peak during the night. Mesocarnivores activity levels change within different seasons and climates. Different temperatures and the rate of plant growth may affect the activity patterns in mesocarnivores. Masked palm civets in China do not appear often in the winter months (December to February) and are not as active. Mesocarnivores' behaviour and characteristics are individual to their species. For example, coyotes are pack animals and form strong family relations. The way mesocarnivores communicate with each other is through their behaviours that are able to organise mating systems, distinguish parental care and other behaviours. Carnivores also use their senses to communicate with other animals and in the pack, especially their olfactory senses. Mesocarnivores perform a wide range of different movements. Different species of mesocarnivores can achieve different types of locomotor movements. For example, otters (Lutrinae) are specialised in swimming in water, however find it difficult to move on land. Other carnivores can improve their locomotor movements by behaviour modifications, for example, the red wolf demonstrate group hunting behaviour where it allows them to run and hunt prey as a pack, that can not be done individually. Carnivores with limbs that are adapted for running may run, gallop or pace to go at a fast pace and cover long distances. These carnivorous mammals use their gait which is dependent on their species and size. The structure of a carnivore is designed to catch prey and kill it. Mesocarnivores may have less widespread geographic ranges relative to hypercarnivores, as they do depend to an extent on vegetation for subsistence and may be constrained to regions with a particular flora. During the Middle and Late Miocene, hypercarnivorous carnivorans had larger geographic ranges than mesocarnivorous carnivorans.
Feeding behaviours Mesocarnivores are found to be nocturnal and are hunting for prey when they are most active during the nighttime. Mesocarnivores' feeding behaviours mainly consist of prey availability. They feed on small mammals which include a range of different mice and squirrels, such as the northern grasshopper mice, ord's kangaroo rat and thirteen-lined ground squirrels. Some other examples of mesocarnivores' prey are the blacktailed jackrabbit and the desert cottontail. Large and small mammals are considered as prey to these mesocarnivores, as well as different herbivores, depending on what food is most readily available to these animals. Without apex predators, there is a decreased level of inter-specific competition in the food chain between mesocarnivores, allowing them to increase their scavenging options for different food. As mesocarnivores are scavengers, they will eat any food that is accessible to them. For example, the yellow-throated marten and Siberian weasel change their feeding behaviours in winter when limited fruits are available and convert to small mammal prey. Mesocarnivores are closely related to other mammals in regards to competition and intraguild predation. Interspecific competition is a vital part of the ecological species and community structure, as a result can lead to "exploitation competition" and "interference competition" with other species.
Dentition
Mesocarnivore cheek teeth are heterodont and their different shapes reflect distinct functions. Incisors and canines are used to apprehend food and kill prey, pointed premolars pierce and hold prey, and molars are involved in both slicing and crushing functions. The slicing function of the molars is produced by occlusion between the carnassials, the lower first molar, and the upper fourth premolar. Mesocarnivores are first represented by the Miacidae. They are best represented by Prohesperocyon, with three incisors, one canine tooth, four premolars above. The jaw has three molars below, and two molars above on each side.
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