{"id":10562,"date":"2016-01-07T08:03:53","date_gmt":"2016-01-07T08:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.whykids.org\/animals\/mammals\/"},"modified":"2018-06-16T17:36:58","modified_gmt":"2018-06-16T17:36:58","slug":"mammals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.whykids.org\/tr\/animals\/mammals\/","title":{"rendered":"Facts about mammals"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"aadvark\"Aardvark<\/h3>\n

Aardvarks (Tubulidentata) are burrowing, nocturnal placental mammals.
\n There is only one living species in the group. The aardvark has a long
\n snout, arched back and coarse fur. Their diet consists of primarily ants
\n and termites, which it procures by tearing open the insects’ nests with
\n its long claws. Aardvarks inhabit savannas, woodlands and grasslands in
\n sub-Saharan Africa, a range that extends from southern Egypt to the
\n Cape of Good Hope. The closest living relatives to the aardvark includes
\n cetaceans and the even-toed hoofed mammals.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Armadillos\"Armadillos, Sloths and Anteaters<\/h3>\n

Armadillos, sloths, and anteaters (Xenarthra) are a group of placental
\n mammals that includes anteaters, armadillos and sloths. Anteaters are
\n native to South America and one species, the armadillo, inhabits the
\n southern United States. There are about 29 species of anteaters and
\n their relatives alive today. Anteaters and their relatives are diverse
\n in form. They are notable for the unique joints in their backbone which
\n provide them with the strength and support they need to dig and burrow.
\n The closest living relatives to the anteaters and their relatives are
\n the pangolins.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"bats\"Bats<\/h3>\n

Bats (Chiroptera) are the only group of mammals that have wings.
\n Although some other groups of mammals, such as flying lemurs, are able
\n to glide using skin membranes, only bats are capable of true flight.
\n There are 997 species of bats alive today. Bats include two basic
\n groups, the megabats and microbats. There is some controversy over just
\n how closely the megabats and microbats are related, with some scientists
\n arguing that the two groups are differ markedly in brain structure. The
\n closest living relatives to bats are colugos, followed by tree shrews
\n and primates.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"carnivores\"Carnivores<\/h3>\n

Carnivores (Carnivora) are a group of mammals that consists of about 250
\n species. Carnivores first appeared during the Cenozoic, after the
\n decline of the dinosaurs. The earliest carnivores were weasel-like
\n creatures. During the Palaeocene, carnivores diverged into two lineages,
\n feliforms and caniformes. Feliforms include cat-like carnivores such as
\n hyenas, cats, civets, linsangs, mongooses and the fossa. Caniforms
\n include dog-like carnivores such as dogs, red pandas, wolves, foxes,
\n coyotes, bears, racoons, mustelids, aardwolves and wolverines.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"cetaceans\"Cetaceans<\/h3>\n

Cetaceans (Cetacea) are marine mammals that include toothed whales and toothless, filter-feeding baleen whales. There are about 88 species of cetaceans. Toothed whales are the more diverse of the two groups of cetaceans, with about 73 species. Toothed whales include dolphins, porpoises, sperm whales, beaked whales and killer whales. Baleen whales include about 15 species such as right whales, bowhead whales and          rorquals. Cetaceans are highly-specialized mammals with sparsely-haired bodies, flipper-like forelimbs and reduced back limbs located within the body wall.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"colugos\"Colugos<\/h3>\n

Colugos;(Dermoptera) are large, tree-dwelling placental mammals that
\n glide using a flap of skin that forms a sail-like surface between their
\n outstretched legs. Only two species of colugos remain today, the
\n Philippine flying lemur and the Sunda flying lemur. Colugos are
\n nocturnal herbivores that feed on leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits.
\n Colugos inhabit the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. Despite
\n being placental mammals, colugos give birth to their young when they are
\n quite undeveloped and in this respect the resemble marsupials.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"elephantshews\"Elephant Shrews<\/h3>\n

Elephant shrews (Macroscelidea) are small, long-nosed insect-eating
\n mammals native to Africa. There are about 12 species of elephant shrews
\n alive today including the golden-rumped elephant shrew, checkered
\n elephant shrew, four-toed elephant shrew, short-eared elephant shrew,
\n dusky elephant shrew and several others. The classification of elephant
\n shrews has often been a matter of debate. In the past, elephant shrews
\n have been classified as close relatives of hoofed mammals, hares and
\n rabbits, insectivores, and treeshrews.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"elephants\"Elephants<\/h3>\n

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Elephants (Proboscidea)
\n include two groups, African elephants and Asian elephants. There are
\n two species of African elephants, the forest elephant and the savanna
\n elephant. There is only one species of Asian elephant. The most notable
\n characteristics of elephants include their large size, massive skull and
\n long muscular trunk. Elephants first arose during the Eocene. They
\n diversified into as many as 150 different species that inhabited Africa,
\n Europe and the Americas. The closest living relatives to the elephants
\n are the sirenians.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"hares\"Hares, Rabbits, and Pikas<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Hares, rabbits, and pikas (Lagomorpha) are small terrestrial mammals
\n that can be found in a diverse range of habitats on every continent
\n except Australia and Antarctica. Lagomorphs have short tails, large
\n ears, eyes that are positioned high on each side of the head, and
\n narrow, slitlike nostriles that they are able to close completely.

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\"eventoed\"Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals<\/h3>\n

Even-toed hoofed mammals (Artiodactyla) includes pigs, hippopotamuses,
\n pronghorn, deer, camels, giraffe, okapi and cattle. There are 225
\n species of even-toed hoofed mammals alive today. The articles listed
\n below provide information about the characteristics, classification and
\n evolution of even-toed hoofed mammals.
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"oddtoed\"Odd-Toed Hoofed Mammals<\/h3>\n

Odd-toed hoofed mammals (Perissodactyla) includes horses and their
\n relatives, rhinoceroses, and tapirs. There are 19 species of odd-toed
\n hoofed mammals alive today. The articles listed below provide
\n information about the characteristics, classification and evolution of
\n odd-toed hoofed mammals.
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"hyraxes\"Hyraxes<\/h3>\n

Hyraxes (Hyracoidea) are a group of mammals that includes the rock
\n hyrax, the yellow-spotted hyrax, the western tree hyrax, and the
\n southern tree hyrax. There are 8 species of hyraxes alive today.
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\"insectivores\"Insectivores<\/h3>\n

Insectivores (Insectivora) are a group of mammals that include
\n hedgehogs, moonrats, shrews, and moles. Insectivores are generally small
\n mammals with nocturnal habits. There are about 365 species of
\n insectivores alive today.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"marsupials\"Marsupials<\/h3>\n
\n

Marsupials (Marsupialia)
\n are a group of mammals that give birth to their young at an early stage
\n of their development. After their birth, the young crawl up the
\n mother’s body and into the safety of her marsupium\u2014a pouch located on
\n the mother’s abdomen. Once inside the marsupium, the baby attaches to a
\n nipple and nurses until it is large enough to leave the pouch and better
\n fend for itself in the outside world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"monotremes\"Monotremes<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Monotremes (Monotremata) are a unique group of mammals that lay eggs
\n instead of giving birth to live young like other mammals such as
\n placental mammals and marsupials. Monotremes include several species of
\n echidnas and the platypus.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Pangolins\"Pangolins<\/h3>\n

Pangolins (Pholidota) are a group of mammals that includes the Indian
\n pangolin, Chinese pangolin, Sunda pangolin, giant pangolin, tree
\n pangolin and others.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"primates\"Primates<\/h3>\n

Primates (Primates) are a group of mammals that includes 356 species.
\n Primates include prosimians, monkeys and apes. Primates inhabit tropical
\n regions throughout Central America, South America, Africa, Madagascar
\n and east and southeast Asia. They form complex social units and many
\n species possess adaptations suited for life in the trees, including
\n dextrous hands and a prehensile tail.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"rodents\"Rodents<\/h3>\n

Rodents (Rodentia) are a diverse group of mammals that consist of more than 2000 species.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"seals\"Seals and Sea Lions<\/h3>\n
\n

Seals and sea lions (Pinnipedia) are a group of
\n semi-aquatic marine mammals that include sea lions, fur seals, true
\n seals and the walrus. Members of this group are also known as the
\n fin-footed mammals and are characterized by clumsiness on land but great
\n agility in the water.<\/p>\n

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\"sirenia\"Sirenians<\/h3>\n

Sirenians (Sirenia) are a group of group of aquatic mammals that
\n includes dugongs, manatees and sea cows. There are 4 species of
\n sirenians alive today.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"treeshrews\"Treeshrews<\/h3>\n

Tree shrews (Scandentia) are a group of arboreal and terrestrial mammals
\n that includes Madras trees shrews, northern tree shrews, large tree
\n shrews, painted treeshrews and many others. There are about 19 species
\n of mammals alive today.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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