Kanuites facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kanuites |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Viverridae |
| Genus: | †Kanuites Dehghani & Werdelin, 2008 |
| Type species | |
| †Kanuites lewisae Dehghani & Werdelin, 2008
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Kanuites was an extinct animal that lived a long, long time ago. It was a type of carnivore (an animal that eats meat), but it was also an omnivore, meaning it ate both plants and animals. Kanuites belonged to a group of animals called viverrids, which are related to modern-day genets and civets.
This ancient creature lived in Africa during a time called the Miocene epoch. The Miocene epoch was a period in Earth's history that lasted from about 23 million to 5.3 million years ago.
Meet Kanuites: An Ancient Animal
Kanuites was a fascinating animal from the past. Scientists have studied its fossils to learn about how it lived and what it looked like.
What Did Kanuites Look Like?
Kanuites was about 90 centimeters (or about 3 feet) long. This means it was roughly the size of a small dog or a large cat. It probably looked very similar to the genets we see today. Genets are slender, cat-like animals with long tails and spotted fur.
What Did Kanuites Eat?
Even though Kanuites was a carnivore, it was also an omnivore. This means its diet included both meat and plants. For example, it might have hunted small animals, but also eaten fruits or insects.
Scientists also think Kanuites might have had retractable claws. This means its claws could be pulled back into its paws, just like a modern cat. Retractable claws are useful for climbing trees and keeping the claws sharp for hunting. It's possible that Kanuites spent some of its life living in trees, using its claws to climb and find food or shelter.
