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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)
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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 placentais 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