Mammals
Falanouc
Eupleres goudotii · also called falanoucs
Digging through leaf litter for earthworms with reduced, peg-like teeth unlike almost any other carnivore, a falanouc has taken dietary specialisation about as far as a meat-eating lineage can go, surviving on Madagascar’s forest floor almost entirely on soil invertebrates.
Overview
The falanouc, Eupleres goudotii, is a highly specialised carnivore native to humid forest habitat scattered across Madagascar. Its extreme dietary narrowing toward earthworms, unusually reduced teeth, and membership in the island’s unique Eupleridae family make it one of the most unusual carnivores found anywhere in the world.
A carnivore that gave up hunting
While most members of the carnivore order rely at least partly on hunting other vertebrates, the falanouc has drifted almost entirely away from that lifestyle, becoming one of the clearest examples of a predator lineage evolving into something closer to a specialised digger.
Status
Endangered, with populations declining due to deforestation and competition from introduced carnivores across Madagascar.
Falanouc: common questions
Why does the falanouc have such unusual teeth for a carnivore?
This species has unusually reduced, peg-like teeth, an adaptation reflecting its highly specialised diet of soft-bodied earthworms and other soil invertebrates rather than the sharper teeth typical of most meat-eating carnivores.
Does the falanouc hunt other animals like most carnivores?
Barely, this species eats almost no vertebrate prey at all, an extreme dietary specialisation on earthworms and soil invertebrates that is rare among members of the carnivore order.
Is the falanouc related to the fossa and fanaloka?
Yes, this species belongs to Eupleridae, a family of carnivores found only on Madagascar that also includes the fossa and fanaloka, all descended from a single ancient carnivore ancestor that reached the island.
How does the falanouc find earthworms to eat?
This species has an elongated snout and strong digging claws, both adaptations for locating and extracting earthworms and other invertebrates from soil and leaf litter on the forest floor.