What are some examples of mammals?
Mammals are highly developed warm-blooded vertebrates that have hair on their body. Mammals feed on their mother’s milk when young Humans, bears, giraffes, mice, cats, dogs, whales, dolphins, walruses, and deer are all mammals
Most live on land, but some live in water
Mammals have two sets of appendages Mammals have two sets of appendages. Ones that live in water have flippers, and ones that live on land have legs Many mammals have well developed lips and teeth. Some teeth are special for ripping and tearing, while flat teeth are for grinding food
Five Characteristics of Mammals 1. Mammals have hair on their bodies 2. Most mammals give birth to live young 3. Mammals feed their young with milk from their mother’s mammary glands.
Mammals care for their young until they can care for themselves Mammals have well-developed brains
Classification of Mammals There are about different kinds of mammals A mammal is placed into a group based how it develops form birth
Most mammals give birth to live young, but small group lay eggs Monotremes-mammals that lay eggs There are two types of monotremes: duckbilled platypus, and the spiny anteater (look at p. 209)
The second group of mammals has pouches and are called marsupials They give birth to live young that are not very developed. The young spend time in a pouch drinking milk and developing
The third group of mammals is fully developed at birth and is called placentals Parents take care of the young until they can take care of themselves. Examples include deer, mice, elephants, racoons, dolphins, and humans
Groups of Placentals Placentals are grouped into smaller groups based on what they eat, how they move, and where they live. The largest group is rodents which consist of rats, mice, squirrels, and beavers
The only animal in the flying mammal group is the bat which has long finger bones to help develop wings.
Meat-Eating Mammals These mammals have special body structures to help eat other mammals. They have special teeth and claws Examples: wolves, cats, dogs, bears, seals, and walruses
Trunk-Nosed Mammals Examples are elephants. The trunk is a combination of the nose and upper lip (look at p. 211)
Insect-Eating Mammals Examples are hedgehogs, moles, and shrews. They have special features that help them find insects (Look at 212)
Toothless Mammals Have no front teeth. Examples include armadillos, sloths, and giant anteaters
Hoofed Mammals 2 groups-even toed and odd toed Even toed examples include sheep, camels, cows, and deer Odd toed examples include horses and zebras
Water Mammals Examples are whales, dolphins, and porpoises They are not fish because they breathe with lungs and do not have gills They come to surface to receive air often through a hole on the top of their heads
Primates Primates are the most intelligent kind of organism on earth Examples include monkeys, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and humans.
Special Characteristics of Primates Movable fingers, flexible thumbs, and advance eyesight There are more than 200 species of primates Most live in warm parts of the world, and some live in trees Nearly all primates live in groups that gather food and each member has a specific job
Humans Humans are most highly developed primates Our skeleton allows us to walk upright, and we communicate with spoken language We are the only primates that can make and use complex tools