Carnivores
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of approximately 430 carnivore specimens. These date from 1810 to 2008.
This collection consists of around 103 mounted specimens, 82 skins and 176 skulls or skeletons. At least 58 different species are represented. There is a good series of skins of British mustelids (weasels, otters and stoats) and of several large cats, including a leopard mounted by Thomas Hall in about 1810, and excellent recent mounts of a clouded leopard and a cheetah. There are also several specimens of the Scottish wildcat. Other notable specimens include hybrid lion and tiger cubs, the skeleton of ‘Orinoco’, the brown bear from Edinburgh Zoo, an early wolverine from the collection of the Royal College of Surgeons, and a leopard seal from the Scottish Antarctic Expedition. About a third of the collection comes from Scotland. Other specimens are from England, Wales, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Germany, Malawi, Uganda, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Burma, Australia, the United States and Canada. There are also several specimens from zoos.
About carnivores
Carnivores all have one thing in common – their ancestors had a pair of slicing teeth, known as carnassials. Many living carnivores no longer possess these teeth and have adapted to omnivorous (mixed) or largely vegetarian diets. Carnivores include weasels, skunks, racoons, seals, walrus, bears, dogs, hyaenas, cats, mongooses and civets. - Broader term
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