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mammals

Mammals are an important group of vertebrates characterized by the presence of mothers feeding their offspring. Notable characteristics of mammals include lactation, body hair, endothermy (warm-blooded animals), and a four-chambered heart. There are many species of mammals, living in almost all ecosystems on Earth, from the deep sea to the mountains, from tropical rainforests to the cold polar regions.

  • scientific name:Mammalia

  • Features

    • suckle:Females have mammary glands that secrete milk to feed their young.

    • Body hair:Most mammals are covered with hair.

    • Endothermic:Maintaining a constant body temperature through metabolism.

    • Four-chambered heart:Mammals have four-chambered hearts to ensure efficient oxygen delivery.

    • viviparous:Most mammals reproduce by giving birth to live young, but some species, such as monotremes (e.g. the platypus), lay eggs.

  • Habitat:Almost all habitats on Earth, including land, ocean, fresh water, polar regions, etc.

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Mammal classification table

Mammals are numerous and can be subdivided based on different biological characteristics. Mammals are roughly divided into three subclasses:

  1. Monotremata: Oviparous mammals.

  2. Marsupialia: Kangaroos, koalas, etc., whose young continue to develop in a pouch outside the mother's body.

  3. Eutheria: Viviparous mammals, the most abundant species, including humans, lions, whales, etc.

The following is a detailed classification table of mammals, including all orders, families, genera and typical animals:

sortOrderFamilyGenusExamples
MonotremataMonotremataOrnithorhynchidaeOrnithorhynchusPlatypus, Echidna


TachyglossidaeEchidnaEchidna
MarsupialiaMarsupialiaMacropodidaeMacropusKangaroos, wombats, possums


PhascolarctidaePhascolarctoskoala


DasyuridaeDasyurusBandicoot, Tasmanian devil
EutheriaCarnivoraCanidaeCanisWolf, dog, fox


FelidaeFelisHouse cat, lion, tiger


UrsidaeUrsusBlack bear, brown bear, polar bear

PerissodactylaEquidaeEquusHorse, donkey, zebra


RhinocerotidaeRhinocerosWhite rhino, black rhino


TapiridaeTapirusTapirus

ArtiodactylaBovidaeBosCattle, antelopes, sheep


CervidaeCervusDeer, reindeer, sika deer


SuidaeSusWild boar, domestic pig

CetaceaBalaenidaeMegapteraHumpback whale, blue whale


DelphinidaeDelphinusDolphins, killer whales

PrimatesCercopithecidaePongoOrangutans, gibbons, monkeys


HominidaeHomoHumans, chimpanzees, orangutans

RodentiaSciuridaeSciurusSquirrels, Ground Squirrels


CastoridaeCastorbeaver


MuridaeMusHouse mouse, vole

ChiropteraVespertilionidaeMyotisSmall bat, big bat

LagomorphaLeporidaeOryctolagusRabbit, hare

Characteristics and Adaptations of Mammals

Mammals are one of the most diverse groups in the biological world. Here are the main characteristics of mammals and how they adapt:


1. Breastfeeding

A notable feature of mammals is that mothers secrete milk through their mammary glands to feed their offspring. This allows mammal cubs to receive adequate nutritional support after birth, increasing their survival rate.


2. Body hair

Almost all mammals have body hair, which not only helps to keep warm, but also plays a camouflage or display function in some species. For example, the white hair of polar bears helps them camouflage in the snow and reduce the risk of being discovered by prey.


3. Homeothermy

Mammals maintain a stable body temperature through metabolism, which allows mammals to maintain a suitable temperature regardless of changes in the outside temperature. This feature allows mammals to survive in a variety of environments, including extreme environments such as polar regions and deserts.


4. Viviparity

Most mammals reproduce by giving birth to live young, which allows the embryo to receive more stable nutritional support in the mother's body and be more viable after birth. Some species, such as kangaroos and koalas, adopt marsupial parenting.


5. Diet

Mammals have a variety of diets, from herbivorous to carnivorous and omnivorous. Some species (such as bats) have even evolved to suck blood. Different diets allow mammals to find living space in a variety of ecological environments.


Summary: Mammals are the most advanced animals with the most perfect physiological functions. There are more than 4,000 existing mammals. Almost all mammals are warm-blooded. Feeding their offspring with breast milk is one of their most notable characteristics. Mammals include nearly 30 orders, including Monotremes, Carnivores, Primates, Perissodactyla, and Artiodactyla.

Carnivora Primates Rodents Chiroptera Shrews Ungulata Cetacea Lagomorpha Pholidota Proboscidea Monotremata
Pan paniscus

Pan paniscus

Pan paniscus,Dwarf Chimpanzee,Bonobo, pygmy chimpanzee

Features:Much smaller than chimpanzees, more upright, more docile, and less likely to get angry

Bonobos (scientific name: Pan paniscus) are called Dwarf Chimpanzee in foreign language. They are one of the two species of chimpanzees and have no subspecies.Bonobos are highly intelligent and social animals. They live in stable areas and live in groups of up to 150 members, although this usually s...

Gorilla beringei

Gorilla beringei

Gorilla beringei,Eastern gorilla,East African gorilla

Features:Darker and larger than the West African gorilla

The scientific name of the East African gorilla is Gorilla beringei. There are two subspecies, namely the East African lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla. They like to live in dense forests and form small families as social units, with a population of up to 40. A group is led by a male leader,...

Lowland GorillaWestern Gorilla

Lowland GorillaWestern Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla,Lowland GorillaWestern Gorilla,Western gorilla, African western gorilla

Features:

The scientific name of the West African gorilla is Gorilla gorilla, and its foreign name is Lowland GorillaWestern Gorilla. There are two subspecies, namely the West African lowland gorilla and the Cross River gorilla.West African gorillas are active during the day and eat figs, rambutan, mangoes, h...

Pongo pygmaeus

Pongo pygmaeus

Pongo pygmaeus, Bornean Orangutan, Orang-outan de Bornéo, Orang-után,Orangutan

Features:It is the only orangutan species that is found in Asia.

Bornean orangutan (scientific name: Pongo pygmaeus) is called Bornean Orangutan in English, Orang-outan de Bornéo in French, and Orang-után in Spanish. There are three subspecies.Male Bornean orangutans live alone, while females live alone or with young orangutans. They are active during the day,...

Pongo abelii

Pongo abelii

Pongo abelii,Sumatran Orangutan,Sumatran Orangutan

Features:The largest orangutan in Sumatra

The Sumatran orangutan (scientific name: Pongo abelii) is the largest orangutan on the island of Sumatra. Among primates, its size is second only to that of gorillas.The Sumatran orangutan has a higher IQ than its Bornean cousin, the orangutan, partly because of the large, strong fig trees that allo...

Symphalangus syndactylus

Symphalangus syndactylus

Symphalangus syndactylus,Siamang,Little monkey

Features:The largest gibbon

Symphalangus syndactylus (scientific name: Symphalangus syndactylus) is called Siamang in foreign language, and has no subspecies.Symphalangus syndactylus is a diurnal animal that likes to live in small groups as a family unit. It is a monogamous primate, usually consisting of 5 individuals in a gro...

Nomascus annamensis

Nomascus annamensis

Nomascus annamensis,Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon、Northern Buff-cheeked Gibbon,Nomascus gabriellae

Features:Females lack the characteristic crown of hair

The Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon (scientific name: Nomascus annamensis) is also known as the Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon and the Northern Buff-cheeked Gibbon. It used to belong to the same species as the Red-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae). Genetic DNA and sound studies hav...

Nomascus concolors

Nomascus concolors

Nomascus concolors, Black Crested Gibbon、Black Gibbon、Concolor Gibbon、Indochinese Gibbon、Western Black Crested Gibbon, Gibbon Noir, Gibón de cresta negra, Westlicher Schopfgibbon

Features:The western black-crested gibbon has the longest arms relative to its body size of all primates.

The Western Black Crested Gibbon (scientific name: Nomascus concolors) is known as Black Crested Gibbon, Black Gibbon, Concolor Gibbon, Indochinese Gibbon, Western Black Crested Gibbon, Gibbon Noir in French, Gibón de cresta negra in Spanish, and Westlicher Schopfgibbon in German. It has two subspe...

Nomascus siki

Nomascus siki

Nomascus siki,Southern White-cheeked Gibbon

Features:There is a patch of white or yellow hair on each side of the cheek from the corner of the mouth to the top of the ear.

The Southern White-cheeked Gibbon (scientific name: Nomascus siki) was confirmed as an independent species in 1972. It was previously considered a subspecies of the white-cheeked gibbon. It lives in trees. It is active during the day. It is good at swinging its arms alternately, bending its fingers...

Nomascus hainanus

Nomascus hainanus

Nomascus hainanus,Hainan Gibbon、Hainan Black Crested Gibbon、Hainan Black Gibbon、Hainan Crested Gibbon,Hainan black-crested gibbon, bang-bang monkey, bao monkey

Features:One of the world's most endangered primates

Hainan Gibbon (scientific name: Nomascus hainanus) Foreign names: Hainan Gibbon, Hainan Black Crested Gibbon, Hainan Black Gibbon, Hainan Crested Gibbon, no subspecies.The difference between Hainan gibbons and other gibbons is that its population is larger and it lives in a family-like manner. It us...

Nomascus gabriellae

Nomascus gabriellae

Nomascus gabriellae,Red-cheeked Gibbon、Buff-cheeked Gibbon、Buffy-cheeked Gibbon、Southern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon,Red-cheeked black ape, yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, light yellow-cheeked gibbon

Features:There is a patch of orange or yellow hair on each side of the cheek from the corner of the mouth to the top of the ear.

Red-cheeked Gibbon (scientific name: Nomascus gabriellae) is also known as Red-cheeked Gibbon, Buff-cheeked Gibbon, Buffy-cheeked Gibbon, Southern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon, and has no subspecies.Red-cheeked gibbons have a strong sense of territory, with each family group covering about 20 to 50...

Hylobates pileatus

Hylobates pileatus

Hylobates pileatus,Pileated Gibbon,Fence-crowned gibbon, Crested gibbon

Features:A tuft of black hair on the top of the head that looks like a crown

Pileated Gibbon (scientific name: Hylobates pileatus) is also known as Pileated Gibbon in English. It has no subspecies.Pileated gibbons usually form a family of 4, including an adult male and an adult female, and the rest are semi-adult and young gibbons, with an adult male serving as the leader. G...

Hylobates muelleri

Hylobates muelleri

Hylobates muelleri,Müller's Bornean Gibbon,Bornean gibbon, Miller's gibbon

Features:The hair color varies from gray to brown, with thick and dense white-gray eyebrow lines

The gray gibbon (scientific name: Hylobates muelleri) is also known as Müller's Bornean Gibbon in English. It has three subspecies.A family of gray gibbons usually consists of 4 individuals, including an adult male and an adult female, and the rest are semi-adult and young gibbons, with an adul...

Hylobates moloch

Hylobates moloch

Hylobates moloch,Silvery Javan Gibbon

Features:The body is silver-gray, with a white ring around the eyebrows and cheeks

Silvery Javan Gibbon (scientific name: Hylobates moloch) is called Silvery Javan Gibbon in English. There are 2 subspecies.Silvery Javan Gibbon usually gathers in small groups of families, usually 4. Among them, there is an adult male and an adult female, and the rest are semi-adult and young gibbon...

Hylobates klossii

Hylobates klossii

Hylobates klossii,Kloss’s Gibbon,Cross's gibbon, Mentawai gibbon, Japanese gibbon

Features:It has longer canine teeth, calluses on the buttocks, no tail or cheek pouches, and a larger vocal sac in the throat.

Kloss’s Gibbon (scientific name: Hylobates klossii) is also known as Kloss’s Gibbon in English. It has no subspecies.Clark's gibbons usually live in small groups of families, including one adult male and one adult female, and the rest are semi-adult and young gibbons, with an adult male servin...

Hylobates albibarbis

Hylobates albibarbis

Hylobates albibarbis

Features:Short legs, hands longer than feet

The white-bearded gibbon (scientific name: Hylobates albibarbis) was once a subspecies of the black-handed gibbon and was identified as an independent species in 2001.White-bearded gibbons usually form a family of 4, including an adult male and an adult female, and the rest are semi-adult and young...

Hylobates agilis

Hylobates agilis

Hylobates agilis,Agile Gibbon,Agile Gibbon

Features:Has extremely long arms and fingers, and no tail

The black-handed gibbon (scientific name: Hylobates agilis) is also known as Agile Gibbon in English. It has two subspecies.Black-handed gibbons usually form a family of 4, including an adult male and an adult female, and the rest are semi-adult and young gibbons, with an adult male as the leader. G...

Simias concolor

Simias concolor

Simias concolor,Pig-tailed langur,Pig-tailed langur, Bagai Island langur

Features:Upturned nose, pig tail

Pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor) has two subspecies. Pig-tailed langurs are related to other langurs and proboscis monkeys; all belong to the primate family Cercopithecidae. The scientific name of the pig-tailed langur, Simias concolor, was named by American zoologist and botanist Gerrit Smith Mi...

Rhinopithecus avunculus

Rhinopithecus avunculus

Rhinopithecus avunculus,Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey,Tokyo snub-nosed monkey

Features:There is a bluish-black tint near the lips and an orange throat patch

Vietnamese golden monkey (scientific name: Rhinopithecus avunculus) is also known as Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey in foreign language, and has no subspecies.Vietnamese golden monkeys move in small groups, usually consisting of one male and multiple females, or groups of multiple males, with multiple sma...

Pygathrix

Pygathrix

Pygathrix,Douc Langur,Gray-legged white-shanked langur, red-legged white-shanked langur, black-legged white-shanked langur

Features:It is named because of the triangular white rump spot on the male's rump.

Douc Langur (scientific name: Pygathrix), also known as Douc Langur, has three species: gray-legged white-shanked langur, red-legged white-shanked langur, and black-legged white-shanked langur. It is one of the most colorful primates.The white-shanked leaf monkey is a diurnal monkey that lives in tr...

Presbytis rubicunda

Presbytis rubicunda

Presbytis rubicunda,Red langur, chestnut langur

Features:Fur chestnut red

The scientific name of the chestnut-red leaf monkey is Presbytis rubicunda. It likes to move around in tall trees and rarely goes to the ground. It also sleeps in big trees at night. It eats almost only leaves. Its favorite food is the vines of Borneo, the young leaves of some rare trees and some un...