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!