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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
Neophoca cinerea

Neophoca cinerea

Neophoca cinerea,Australian sealion,Australian sea lion, Australian sea lion, grey sea lion, new seal

Features:Australian sea lions are listed as endangered on the IUCN - World Conservation Union Red List.

The scientific name of the Australian sea lion is Neophoca cinerea, and its foreign name is Australian sealion. It is a sea lion that only lives on the southern and western coasts of Australia. It is very similar to other sea lions and fur seals in the family Neophocidae.The Australian sea lion main...

Arctocephalus tropicalis

Arctocephalus tropicalis

Arctocephalus tropicalis,Antarctic fur seal

Features:The chest and face to behind the ears are bright smoky yellow or light cream

This is a Northern fur sea lion (scientific name: Arctocephalus tropicalis) first described by John Edward Gray in 1872.This is a Northern fur sea lion. Male sea lions will fight fiercely during the breeding season, and there will be casualties. A family consists of a male and 6-8 females. They give...

Arctocephalus townsendi

Arctocephalus townsendi

Arctocephalus townsendi,Paw Island fur seal, Paw Dalupe sea lion

Features:Long fleshy nose with a bulbous septum

The North American fur sea lion (Arctocephalus townsendi) is the only sea lion living in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to excessive hunting at the end of the 19th century, only a few dozen were left, and by the 1990s, the number had recovered to about 10,000.The North American fur sea lion feeds on f...

Phocarctos hookeri

Phocarctos hookeri

Phocarctos hookeri

Features:It is a local species and the largest sea lion in the area.

The scientific name of New Zealand sea lion is Phocarctos hookeri, also known as Hooker's sea lion. It feeds on small fish such as octopus and flounder, and also eats crabs and penguins. It likes to live in groups. It gives birth in late December or early January. The birthing process is short,...

Arctocephalus philippii

Arctocephalus philippii

Arctocephalus philippii,Chilean fur sea lion

Features:Round head, short snout, large eyes, and small ear shells

The scientific name of the Hoo Island fur seal is Arctocephalus philippii. It likes to stand upside down in the water for a long time, with its head down and its flippers raised out of the water and swinging slowly. It breeds on the Juan-Fernandez Islands in Chile. It gives birth in June. It is doci...

Arctocephalus pusillus

Arctocephalus pusillus

Arctocephalus pusillus,South African and Australian Fur Seal,Cape fur seal, African fur sea lion, South African fur sea lion, Australian fur sea lion

Features:The largest fur seal

The scientific name of the African fur seal is Arctocephalus pusillus, and its foreign name is South African and Australian Fur Seal. There are two subspecies.African fur sea lions are gentle and like to gather in groups. They generally do not have a fixed habitat except during the breeding season....

Arctocephalus forsteri

Arctocephalus forsteri

Arctocephalus forsteri,New Zealand sea lion, New Zealand fur seal, New Zealand fur seal

Features:Compared with real sea lions, the fur of the New Zealand fur seal is obviously much shorter

New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) mainly feed on squid, octopus and rod fish, and also eat penguins. They mostly hunt on the surface at night, and sometimes hunt on octopus on the seabed during the day. They can drag large fish such as perch out of the water and bite them off and swallo...

Arctocephalus gazella

Arctocephalus gazella

Arctocephalus gazella,Kerguelen Fur seal,Island sea lions, sea wolves, Antarctic fur seals

Features:Has the longest beard and bad breath

The Antarctic fur seal (scientific name: Arctocephalus gazella) is called Kerguelen Fur seal. Its scientific name comes from the first German ship to capture it, SMS Gazelle. Captain Cook mentioned that there were a large number of fur seals living on South Georgia Island after exploring it in 1775....

Arctocephalus galapagoensis

Arctocephalus galapagoensis

Arctocephalus galapagoensis,Bear Headed,Galapagos fur seal, Equatorial fur sea lion, Galapagos sea lion, Galapagos sea lion, Galapagos Islands sea lion

Features:Short diving time and strong territorial awareness

Galapagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis): Its Greek name, Bear Headed, means "bear head", which is related to its short, pointed muzzle and small, button-shaped nose. This marine mammal is the ancestor of similar terrestrial carnivores.Galapagos fur seals do not have a fixed living...

Leptonychotes weddellii

Leptonychotes weddellii

Leptonychotes weddellii,monk seal, Weddell seal, Weddell seal, Weddell seal

Features:It was the first seal Columbus saw in the "New World".

Weddell seal (Latin name: Leptonychotes weddellii), also known as Weddell seal, Weddell seal or Weddell seal, is the only species of Weddell seal genus under the seal family, named by a British Antarctic navigator James Weddell.Weddell seals are an extremely ancient creature, so they are called &quo...

Monachus monachus

Monachus monachus

Monachus monachus,Mediterranean monk sea,Monk seal

Features:The largest of the monk seals, the rarest seal in the world

The scientific name of the Mediterranean monk seal is Monachus monachus, and its foreign name is Mediterranean monk seal. It is an ancient and rare seal. Its head is very round and densely covered with short hair, which looks like a monk's head, hence the name. It is the rarest seal in the world...

Mirounga leonina

Mirounga leonina

Mirounga leonina,Southern elephant-seal

Features:The largest seal on Earth, the largest pinniped, and the largest carnivore

The scientific name of the Southern elephant seal is Mirounga leonina, and its foreign name is Southern elephant-seal. It is the largest seal on earth, the largest pinniped in history, and even the largest carnivore. It is divided into three subspecies: South American subspecies (M.l falclandicus),...

Mirounga angustirostris

Mirounga angustirostris

Mirounga angustirostris,Northern elephant-seal,Northern elephant seal

Features:The nose is shaped like a cockscomb and swells when angry or excited.

The scientific name of the Northern elephant seal is Mirounga angustirostris, and its foreign name is Northern elephant-seal. It is a large seal-like animal.The Northern elephant seal has large, round, black eyes. The width of the eyes shows that they mainly hunt by vision. Like other seals, norther...

Lobodon carcinophagus

Lobodon carcinophagus

Lobodon carcinophagus,Crabeater seal

Features:The mouth has rows of sharp teeth, like saw teeth.

Sawtooth seals are called Lobodon carcinophagus in scientific name and Crabeater seal in foreign language. They are the most numerous seals in the world.Sawtooth seals feed on krill. It is an illusion to call them crab-eating seals because there are very few crabs in Antarctica, which are not enough...

Hydrurga leptonyx

Hydrurga leptonyx

Hydrurga leptonyx,leopard seal,

Features:It is named after the black spots on its neck that resemble leopard spots.

Leopard seal (scientific name: Hydrurga leptonyx) is also known as leopard seal in foreign languages. There are no subspecies.Leopard seals are solitary animals that mate and raise their young in groups. Compared with other pinnipeds, they prefer warm-blooded animals. Because it moves slowly on land...

Halichoerus grypus

Halichoerus grypus

Halichoerus grypus,Grey seal,Atlantic grey seal

Features:Clapping underwater

Grey seal (scientific name: Halichoerus grypus) is a large seal in the family Phocidae and the only member of the genus Halichoerus. They also have another name - Atlantic grey seal.Grey seals feed on fish such as salmon, cod, herring, and flounder, as well as cephalopods and arthropods. The daily f...

Cystophora cristata

Cystophora cristata

Cystophora cristata,Hooded seal

Features:The male has a black sac on his head, which swells into a "red balloon" when he gets angry.

Hooded seal (scientific name: Cystophora cristata) is also known as Hooded seal in foreign languages. There are no subspecies.Among the 19 species of seals, the hooded seal is the least known pinniped. In the past, people always mistakenly thought it was a whale (whales and pinnipeds are two distinc...

Phoca vitulina

Phoca vitulina

Phoca vitulina ,Common seal

Features:It often stays in the harbor, hence the name

The scientific name of the harbor seal is Phoca vitulina (Linnaeus, 1758), and the foreign name is Common seal. It is a seal distributed in the temperate and polar waters of the Northern Hemisphere.The harbor seal lives in groups, but the number of its groups is not as large as other seals. When not...

Phoca sibirica

Phoca sibirica

Phoca sibirica,Baikal Seal,Siberian seal, freshwater seal

Features:It has a round body and is the only freshwater seal in the world.

Baikal Seal (Phoca sibirica), also known as Baikal Seal in English, lives in the Baikal Lake area of Russia. It is the only freshwater seal in the world and also the smallest seal species in the world.The Baikal seals have long and strong claws that can break through the ice and open the hole for ai...

Phoca hispida

Phoca hispida

Phoca hispida,Ringed seal,Nordic seal, ice seal, ring seal

Features:The smallest seal in the Arctic

The scientific name of the ringed seal is Phoca hispida, and its foreign name is Ringed seal. There are 5 subspecies. It is one of the smallest species in the seal family and the smallest seal in the Arctic.Most seals in the world live in seawater, and the only species that lives entirely in freshwa...

Pagophilus groenlandicus

Pagophilus groenlandicus

Pagophilus groenlandicus,Harp Seal、Greenland Seal,Greenland seal, ice seal, Lyra seal, saddle seal

Features:Distinct black bands forming numerous saddle marks on the back, generally in the shape of a harp

Harp seal (scientific name: Pagophilus groenlandicus) is also known as Harp Seal and Greenland Seal. It has no subspecies.Harp seals can travel 5,000 kilometers a year. Their migration pattern depends on where they breed and shed. They breed in the southernmost part of their distribution area in win...