Mammals Feeding time at the Australia Zoo!

Characteristics of Mammals Vertebrate Warm-blooded 4 chambered heart Skin covered with fur or hair Every young mammal is fed with milk from mother’s body Have teeth adapted to their diets Did you know that a giraffe has the same number of neck bones as a human?

Fur & Hair All mammals have fur or hair at some point in their lives.  Whales and manatees have only a few bristles  Dogs and weasels have thick, short fur  The fur of sea otters is the thickest of all; 150,000 hairs per square centimeter  Humans are also covered with hair Fur helps to keep mammals warm However, mammals also have a layer of fat beneath their skin that helps keep them insulated with warmth Tazmanian Devil from Australia! THINK! –Q: How did this animal get its name? A: its shrill cries sounded devil-like!

Teeth Most mammals have teeth with 4 different shapes Incisors – flat edged teeth used to bite and cut food Canines – sharply pointed teeth used for tearing food Premolars – used for grinding and mashing Molars – used for grinding and mashing The size and shape of the teeth reflect the mammal’s diet Carnivores like lions and tigers have huge canines Herbivores like deer and woodchucks have molars that are broad and flat Look at the size of the canines!

Circulation & Senses Mammals have a 4 chambered heart THINK! – What other animals have a 4 chambered heart? Birds Mammals have highly developed senses THINK! – Why do bats have a highly developed sense of hearing To navigate and catch prey Video Clip-Echolocation in Humans?(4min21sec) Video Clip-Echolocation in Humans?

Reproduction & Caring for Young Mammals have internal fertilization Although a few mammals lay eggs, the young of most mammals develops inside the mother’s body Mothers feed their young with milk from mammary glands THINK! – What other word does mammary sound like? Mammal Gorillas from the Bronx Zoo are very social creatures Smartest Animals_Great Apes_5min

3 Groups of Mammals Monotremes Mammals that lay eggs Marsupials Mammals whose young is born alive, but at an early stage of development they continue to develop in a pouch on their mother’s body Placental Mammals Mammals who develop inside its mother’s body until its body systems can function independently The wombat is a marsupial!

Virtual Field Trip: Let’s take a Look at some Marsupials at the Lone Pine Sanctuary!

Can you believe I held a Koala? The koala gets its name from an ancient Aboriginal word meaning "no drink" because it receives over 90% of its hydration from the Eucalyptus leaves (also known as gum leaves) it eats, and only drinks when ill or times when there is not enough moisture in the leaves.

Time to Mingle with the Kangaroos!

Roo Heaven! Before Feeding!After Feeding!

A Baby Joey!

Check out all the different species of kangaroo!