What every human should know! Mammals What every human should know!
What Is A Mammal? All mammals share the following characteristics: Endothermic vertebrates Four chambered hearts (i.e. humans) Fur or hair covered skin Nourish their young with milk produced by the mother (mammary glands) * Some modern-day mammals include people, apes, dogs, mice, elephants, pandas, and many more.
Types Of Mammals There are three groups of mammals that differ in their developmental stages Monotremes: are primitive egg-laying mammal Marsupials: are born at an early stage of development and continue to develop in a pouch on the mother’s body Placental: develop inside the mother’s body until its body system can function independently *The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply
Monotremes Monotremes are the most primitive mammals These mammals lay eggs, after the babies hatch, the mothers nourish their young with milk Today, monotremes only live in Australia and New Guinea Below: the spiny anteater (enchidna)
Types of Monotremes There are three species of monotremes: The duck-billed platypus and two spiny anteaters. This is a picture of a duck-billed platypus
Marsupials Marsupials are pouched mammals whose babies are born in a very undeveloped state The young attach themselves to their mother Many marsupials have a pouch that encloses the young Very short gestation period (fertilization to birth stage) Marsupials evolved about 100 to 75 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs
Types of Marsupials Kangaroo, opossum, Tasmanian devil, and koala the most common The only marsupial in North America is the Virginia opossum. Picture of a kangaroo which is native to Australia
Placental Mammals Placental mammals are advanced mammals whose young are born at an advanced stage Before birth the young are nourished through a placenta Gestation period is generally shorter in placental mammals than in marsupials Most mammals are placental mammals.
Types of Placental Mammals There are almost 4,000 known species of placental mammals. The most common: people, cats, dogs, and horses.
The Fastest Mammal The fastest mammal (also the fastest land animal) 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds.
Fastest Human Usain Bolt Born in Jamacia 100m world record to its current mark of 9.58 seconds 27.79 mph top speed
The Slowest Mammal The slowest mammal is the sloth Sleep 15 to 20 hours every day Even when awake they often remain motionless The sloth moves less than 1 mile or 1.6 km/per hour
The Biggest Mammal The biggest mammal also known as the biggest animal that ever lived on Earth is the blue whale Average life span : 80 to 90 years Size: 82 to 105 ft (25 to 32 m) Weight: Up to 200 tons (181,437 kg) The biggest land mammal is the African Elephant Average life span: Up to 70 years Size: Height at the shoulder = 8.2 to 13 ft (2.5 to 4 m) Weight: 5,000 to 14,000 lbs (2,268 to 6,350 kg)
The Tallest Mammal The tallest mammal is the giraffe A giraffe's legs alone are taller than many humans at about 6 feet (1.8 meters) Female giraffes give birth standing up Their babies fall nearly 5 feet (1.5 meters) to the ground at birth.
The Smallest Mammals The smallest mammal is the pygmy shrew and the bumblebee bat. The pygmy shrew weighs between 1.2 and 2.7 grams. The bumblebee bat weighs about 2 grams.
The Loudest Mammals The loudest mammal is the blue whale The second loudest is the howler monkey
The Smelliest Mammal The smelliest mammal is the striped skunk.
The Fattest Mammal The blue whale has the thickest layer of blubber, but the ringed seal pups have the greatest percentage of fat (about 50%).
Mammal Facts There are about 4,000 species of living mammals You have learned that mammals are divided into three subclasses: Monotremes, Marsupials, and Placental mammals Mammals unlike other animals have body hair, three middle ear bones, and nourish their young with milk that females produce
Mammal Diversity