Arizona Game and Fish Department: Wild About Arizona – Mesocarnivores

Mesocarnivores are part of the mammalian carnivore family, and they play a disproportionately large role in the ecosystems that they inhabit. Mesocarnivores are animals whose diet consists of 50-70% meat with the balance consisting of invertebrates, fruits, fungi, plant material, and any other food source available to them. This group of animals are considered to be small to medium-sized carnivores that typically have a body mass of less than 15 kg. While mesocarnivores do not get the same level of love that hypercarnivores do, the fact is that their populations tend to be greater in number and they are also exceedingly important seed dispersers as they eat vegetable matter, whereas hypercarnivores tend not to eat such material. If you are interested in learning more about this truly intriguing group of mammals, including information about their natural history, habits, distribution in the state and much more, please join AZGFD biologists Jeff Meyers and Cheyenne Towne by registering below.