Important Facts About Mammals

Mammals are a class of animal named after their distinctive feature- mammary glands with which they feed their babies. Here are some great and interesting facts about mammals.

Facts About Mammals

• Mammals all have sweat glands, three middle ear bones (which are used for hearing) and hair.
• Nearly all mammals are warm blooded (endothermic). This means they must eat more food to stay warm! The naked mole rat is a mammal that are cold blooded.
• Most mammals give birth to live young, but some lay eggs (the platypus, for example).
• All mammals possess a unique area of the brain that no other animals have- a neocortex.
• Baby mammals are dependent on their mothers for food.
• Some mammals are herbivores (eat only plants and grass), some are carnivores (eat meat) and others are omnivores (eat both plants and meat).
• Mammals have hearts with four different chambers- the right atrium, the left atrium, the right ventricle and the left ventricle. Atria receive blood and ventricles pump blood throughout the body.
• Mammals are more intelligent that most other animals. Rats, for example, are considered intelligent as they can learn and perform new tasks they are taught.
• There are approximately 5,400 different species of mammals.
• The smallest mammal is the Bumblebee Bat. They are 30-40 millimeters in size (1.2-1.6 inches).
• The Blue Whale is the largest mammal. They are 33 meters long (110 feet).