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Mammals
of the Animal Kingdom
Living on Planet Earth
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Mammals
 Mammals
are part of the Animal
Kingdom. Other classes of animals
include: birds, amphibians, fish, reptiles
and invertebrates.
Mammals
 All
members of the kingdom of animals
have one thing in common—they have a
mouth or similar method of ingesting food.
If they absorb food they belong to
another kingdom of life.
Mammals
 Have
mouths to ingest food
 Have vertebrae to support their bodies
 Are warm-blooded
 Breathe with lungs
 Nourish their young with milk
 Have skin with hair or hair follicles
Mammals
 Mammals
are vertebrates.
Meaning they have bones
that protect the spinal cord
which carries the sensory
information from all parts of
the body to the brain.
 Vertebrae are made of
bone and cartilage. They
give the animal shape and
help it to bend and to turn.
Mammals
 Mammals
are warm-blooded,
maintaining their body temperature by
eating food and drinking water.
 The body hairs of many species help keep
the skin hydrated and the body warm.
Mammals
 Mammals
breathe air into lungs. The heart
moves oxygen from the lungs into the
blood. Each heart beat pushes blood
throughout the body. The body’s skeleton,
organs and muscles depend upon good
oxygen circulation from the heart and the
lungs.
Mammals
 Many
mammals have keen senses and
highly developed brains. Because they
are warm-blooded they can remain
active when it’s cold. Most mammals give
birth to live young but a few species lay
eggs.
Mammals
 Mammals
are often able to make vocal
sounds, give off scents, and use their
strong senses of sight, hearing and smell
to communicate.
Mammals
 Land
mammals have four legs. Mammals
that fly and glide have laps of stretchy
skin. Swimming mammals have flippers.
Some four legged land animals that swim
have webbed toes.
Mammals
 Many
mammals have
natural defenses that
keep them safe.
 They often use their
thinking brains to
outsmart predators.
Mammals
 There
are at least 4,000 mammals found
on land and in the water. We’ll look at
some characteristics that make mammals
different from other animals.
 We’ll also learn some of the special
features animals possess to adapt and
survive in the wild.
Mammals
Mammary Glands
 All
mammals have glands that produce
milk to feed their young. The platypus is
the most primitive animal in this group. The
females produce milk which is released
from mammary glands found all over her
body rather than from teats.
Mammals
Hair
 All
mammals have hair or hair follicles. Hair
helps regulate the body temperature by
holding or releasing moisture and heat.
Some monkeys have such thick hair that
they can drink from it after a rain.
Mammals
Hair

Manatees have just a few hairs on their chins
that help them sense food in the water.
Dolphins don’t have any visible hair.
 Have
you ever noticed
your hair stand up
when you are cold or
excited? Dolphins may
use their hair follicles in
the same way.
Mammals
Camouflage
 Some
animals are able to change their
hair color to keep safe from predators.
Snowshoe hares are a good example.
Their brown coats blends into the
surroundings most of the year. As winter
approaches, their fur turns white like the
snow.
Mammals
Webbed Toes
 Animals
that spend a lot of time in the
water have webbed toes to help them
swim faster. Look for this characteristic
with the four-legged sea mammals and
water dogs like the Labrador Retriever.
Mammals
Finding Food
 Mammals
that find and hunt other
animals are called carnivores because
they eat meat.
 These hunters have keen senses and
strong bodies. They often hunt animals
that are larger than themselves.
Mammals
Finding Food
 Carnivores
have teeth shaped to help
them stab, grip and tear the fleshy meat.
This allows them to eat their food in bits
and pieces. Carnivores that eat left-over
flesh are also called scavengers.
Mammals
Finding Food
 Animals
that eat only plants found
growing in their ecosystem are called
herbivores.
 They are often the prey or hunted
animals.
Mammals
Finding Food
 You
will notice that many herbivores have
an eye on each side of their head. They
see the world differently than carnivores.
 While they are looking for food with one
eye they watch for a predator with the
other.
Mammals
Hibernation
 Mammals
depend upon rich, high calorie
foods to live. In harsh winter climates
some food plants stop growing and are
covered by snow. It is also more difficult
for animals to control their body heat so
they go into hibernation.
Mammals
Hibernation
 Hibernation
is different
than sleep. The animal
goes to a safe and warm
place. As they rest, their
heart beats less frequently
and the body temperature
lowers. They can stay alive
for months by burning their
stored body fat.
Mammals
Hibernation
 Spring
arrives with warmer temperatures
and the animals become more active.
 Animals living in climates closer to the
equator don’t usually hibernate because
the climate is much warmer and the food
grows all year round.
Mammals
Magnetic Senses
A
number of animals are able to sense
the magnetic field of the earth. This helps
them pick a direction to travel where they
will find a safe place or a good food
source.
 Scientists think some mammals, like whales
and caribou, use their magnetic senses to
migrate.
Mammals
Chemical Release
 Most
mammals have scent glands.
Animals leave scents behind with clues
telling of its species, age and size.
 They
will also use their scent to
mark their territory or send
warnings to their predators.
 Skunks are well known for their
unpleasant scent.
Mammals
Poison Defenses
 Very
few mammals use a snake-like
venom poison. A shrew, similar to a
mouse, and the male platypus may be
the only mammals with this ability.
Mammals
Playing Dead
A
predatory animal that
likes to hunt and kill its food
will leave a dead animal
alone. Extreme fear can
send opossum into a
comatose-like state. It will
appear dead to the hunter.
When the danger passes
the opossum will wake up.
Mammals
Echolocation
 Echolocation
helps animals
such as bats, shrews, dolphins
and some whales find food
and communicate with each
other.
 These mammals use their
voices to send out high
pitched bursts of sound
through the air or water. Their
ears are sensitive enough to
hear these sonar pulses.
Mammals
Echolocation
 Other
animals such as flying
squirrels use high-pitched sounds to
navigate at night, and elephants,
giraffes and whales use very low
pitched sounds called infrasound
to communicate.
 Some species, like a lion, will use
these sounds to stun their prey.
Mammals
Electroreception
 There
are a few species known to sense
electric fields generated by plant and
animal food sources. They belong to the
mammal class of Monotremes. The only
animals belonging to this group are the
platypus and two species of spiny
anteaters.
Mammals
 There
are many interesting characteristics
found among all the animal species. It’s
fun to learn what they have in common
and some of the things that make them
different.
Mammals
 We
hope you enjoyed learning about the
mammals of the Animal Kingdom.
Mammals
Animal Orders
 Anteaters,
Armadillos, Sloths, Pangolins
and Aardvarks
 Antelope, Cattle and Their Relatives
 Bats
 Bears
 Camels and Their Relatives
 Cats
 Deer
Mammals
Animal Orders
 Dogs
and Foxes
 Elephants
 Flying Lemurs and Tree Shrews
 Genets, Civets and Mongooses
 Giraffes and Okapis
 Horses, Rhinoceroses and Tapirs
 Hyenas and Aardwolves
Mammals
Animal Orders
 Hyraxes
 Marsupials
 Moles,
Hedgehogs and Shrews
 Monotremes (Egg-Laying Mammals)
 Mustelids
 Pandas and Raccoons
 Pigs, Peccaries and Hippopotamuses
Mammals
of the Animal Kingdom
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Mammals
of the Animal Kingdom
Living on Planet Earth