Mammals

Learn all about these amazing creatures.

By: Alissa Cattron

What Is A Mammal?Mammals are animals that have hair, are warm-blooded, and nourish their young with milk.Some modern-day mammals include people, apes, dogs, mice, elephants, pandas, and many more.

Types Of MammalsMonotremes: are primitive egg-laying mammals.Marsupials: their young are born in an extremely immature state.Placental mammals: their young are born at an advanced state.

MonotremesMonotremes 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.

Types of MonotremesThere are three species of monotremes:The duck-billed platypus and two spiny anteaters.This is a picture of a duck-billed platypus

MarsupialsMarsupials 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.Marsupials evolved about 100 to 75 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs.

Types of MarsupialsThe biggest is the human sized red kangaroo. The smallest is the pilbara, it would fit in a persons hand.Kangaroo, opossum, Tasmanian devil, and koala the most common.The only marsupial in North America is the Virginia opossum.Pictured is a kangaroo.

Placental MammalsPlacental mammals are advanced mammals whose young are born at an advanced stage.Before birth the young are nourished through a placenta. The placenta is attached to the mother’s uterus and it delivers oxygen and nutrients to the young.Most mammals are placental mammals.

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

Mammal DietsMammals have to eat a lot to maintain their high body temperature. Diets vary from mammal to mammal. As with most animal groups, there are more herbivores (plant-eaters) than there are carnivores (meat-eaters).

The Different Types of DietsThere are four types of diets that mammals can have. They can be:

HerbivoresCarnivoresOmnivoresInsectivores

HerbivoresHerbivores are plant eaters. Some herbivores include: beavers, cows, horses, pandas, sloths, and others.Pictured are panda bears.

CarnivoresCarnivores are meat eaters.Some carnivores include: whales and dolphins, dogs, tigers, lions, and others.

Baby Dolphin

OmnivoresOmnivores eat both plants and meat.Some omnivores include: people, some bears, and others.

Grizzly Bear

InsectivoresInsectivores eat insects.Some insectivores include: aardvarks, anteaters, and others.

Aardvark

Venomous MammalsOnly a few mammals are venomous.These mammals include: male duckbilled platypus, several species of shrews, and the Solenodon (a small insectivore).

Haitain Solenodon

Mammal ExtremesHere are some fun mammal facts.We are going find out what the fastest, slowest and biggest mammals are.We will also learn what the smallest, loudest and smelliest mammals are.Along with some other cool facts.

The Fastest MammalThe fastest mammal (also the fastest land animal) it the Cheetah.The cheetah runs between 60 and 70 miles per hour.

The Slowest MammalThe slowest mammal is the sloth.The sloth moves less than 1 mile per hour.

The Biggest MammalThe biggest mammal also known as the biggest animal that ever lived on Earth is the blue whale.The biggest land mammal is the African Elephant.

African Elephants

The Tallest MammalThe tallest mammal is the giraffe.

The Smallest MammalsThe 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.

Pygmy Shrew

The Loudest MammalThe loudest mammal is the blue whale. The second loudest is the howler monkey.Pictured is a Black Howler Monkey.

The Smelliest MammalThe smelliest mammal is the striped skunk.

The Fattest MammalThe blue whale has the thickest layer of blubber, but the ringed seal pups have the greatest percentage of fat (about 50%).

Ringed Seal Pup

More Mammal FactsThere are about 5,000 species of living mammalsYou 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.