Mammals

Feeding time at the Australia Zoo!

Characteristics of Mammals

Vertebrate

Warm-blooded

4 chambered heart

Skin covered with fur or hair

Every young mammal is fed with milk from mother’s body

Have teeth adapted to their diets

Did you know that a giraffe hasthe same number of neck bonesas a human?

Fur & Hair

All mammals have fur or hair at some point in their lives. Whales and manatees have only a

few bristles Dogs and weasels have thick,

short fur The fur of sea otters is the thickest

of all; 150,000 hairs per square centimeter Humans are also covered with hair

Fur helps to keep mammals warm

However, mammals also have a layer of fat beneath their skin that helps keep them insulated with warmth

Tazmanian Devil from Australia!

THINK! –Q: How did this animal get its name? A: its shrill cries sounded devil-like!

Teeth

Most mammals have teeth with 4 different shapes

Incisors – flat edged teeth used to bite and cut food

Canines – sharply pointed teeth used for tearing food

Premolars – used for grinding and mashing

Molars – used for grinding and mashing

The size and shape of the teeth reflect the mammal’s diet

Carnivores like lions and tigers have huge canines

Herbivores like deer and woodchucks have molars that are broad and flat

Look at the size of the canines!

Circulation & Senses

Mammals have a 4 chambered heartTHINK! – What other animals have a 4 chambered

heart?• Birds

Mammals have highly developed sensesTHINK! – Why do bats have a highly developed

sense of hearing• To navigate and catch prey

Video Clip-Echolocation in Humans?(4min21sec)

Reproduction & Caring for Young

Mammals have internal fertilization

Although a few mammals lay eggs, the young of

most mammals develops inside the mother’s

body

Mothers feed their young with milk from

mammary glandsTHINK! – What other

word does mammary sound like?

• Mammal

Gorillas from the Bronx Zoo are very social creatures

Smartest Animals_Great Apes_5min

3 Groups of Mammals

Monotremes Mammals that lay eggs

MarsupialsMammals whose young is born alive, but at an early

stage of development they continue to develop in a pouch on their mother’s body

Placental MammalsMammals who develop inside its mother’s body

until its body systems can function independently

The wombat is a marsupial!

Virtual Field Trip: Let’s take a Look at some Marsupials at the Lone Pine Sanctuary!

Can you believe I held a Koala?

The koala gets its name from an ancient Aboriginal word meaning "no drink" because it receives over 90% of its hydration from the Eucalyptus leaves (also known as gum leaves) it eats, and only drinks when ill or times when there is not enough moisture in the leaves.

Time to Mingle with the Kangaroos!

Roo Heaven!

Before Feeding! After Feeding!

A Baby Joey!

Check out all the different species of kangaroo!