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Mammals
Featured Mammals:
American Beaver
American Pika
Bats
Bighorn Sheep
Bison
Black Bear
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Canada Lynx
Florida Panther
Gray Wolf
Grizzly Bear
Humpback Whale
Key Deer
Polar Bear
Pronghorn
Raccoon
Red Fox
Red Squirrel
Snowshoe Hare
Sperm Whales
What is a mammal?
To identify an animal as a mammal, it should have these characteristics:
- Mammals have a backbone. They are vertebrates.
- All mammals are warm-blooded. They can regulate their body temperature.
- Female mammals produce milk to nourish their young
- Almost all mammals give birth to live young (except for the platypus and echidna)
- Mammals have hair.
Some common mammals are rodents, deer, whales, bears, dogs, elephants, bats, lions, monkeys and humans! What mammals can you identify in your community?
How are Mammals Doing Worldwide and in the United States?
Scientists have identified over 5,400 mammal species on Earth. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 21% of mammals worldwide are known to be threatened or extinct. One of the most threatened order of mammals is the primates, which includes gorillas and monkeys. Over 49 percent of the 414 species of primate are threatened or endangered.
The United States has over 410 mammal species. Of those mammals, over 80 species are listed on the Endangered Species List. A few of the mammals on the Endangered Species List are the grizzly bear, jaguar, humpback whale and the ocelot.
Sources:
International Union for Conservation of Nature - Key Findings of Mammals
International Union for Conservation of Nature - Red List Status
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
World of Biology. McGrath, Kimberley A., ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 1999.
Precious Heritage. Adams, J.S., L.S. Kutner and B.A. Stein. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.