1. What every human should know!
Mammals
What every human should know!

2. 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.

3. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

11. Types of Placental Mammals
There are almost 4,000 known species of placental mammals.
The most common: people, cats, dogs, and horses.

12. The Fastest Mammal The fastest mammal (also the fastest land animal)
0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds.

13. Fastest Human Usain Bolt Born in Jamacia
100m world record to its current mark of seconds
27.79 mph top speed

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. The Loudest Mammals The loudest mammal is the blue whale
The second loudest is the howler monkey
                            

19. The Smelliest Mammal
The smelliest mammal is the striped skunk.

20. 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%).

21. 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

22. Mammal Diversity