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  • Mammals are warm-blooded animals that feed their babies by milk. The largest, fastest and smartest animals in the world are among the representatives of mammals.

    Mammals appeared on Earth a long time ago, it was the age of dinosaurs’ domination. In that period this class of animals has been represented only by restricted amount of small species resembled squirrels or chipmunks

    In our time, this class is represented by a huge variety of animals that has populated the different natural areas of the Planet. Mammals live in warm and cold climates; they are perfectly mastered land, water spaces (whales) and airspace (bats). They are warm-blooded creatures, their skin is covered by hair in most cases. They can regulate their body temperature: shiver when they are cold, and when it is hot, they start actively sweating and breathing rapidly.

    Pouched mammals give birth to alive, but not completely developed young ones. Pouched mammals’ kids crawl in a special bag on its mother’s belly. Young ones are staying there for a few months, eating only milk, which is spraying by special nipples or pores within the mother’s bag. The most famous representative of pouched mammals is kangaroo.

    The highest mammals or placentary is a group of animals that are developing inside the mother’s body, getting the necessary nutrients through the placenta. This group brings together a huge number of animals from different parts of the biosphere, herbivores (elephants, giraffes) and predators (lions, hyenas). The placentary group includes primates, which are monkeys and humans.

     

    Classification of Mammals

     

    Monotremes

    Marsupials

    Dasyuromorphia

    Pilosa

    Cingulata

    Insectivora

    Orycteropodidae

    Rodents

    Lagomorpha

    Colugos

    Bats

    Primates

    Pangolin

    Carnivora

    Pinnipeds

    Tylopoda

    Even-toed ungulate

    Odd-toed ungulate

    Hyraxes

    Sirenia

    Proboscidea

    Cetacea