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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
Cephalorhynchus eutropia

Cephalorhynchus eutropia

black dolphin, black dolphin, Chilean dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:After death, the body color will soon darken, so it is also called "black dolphin".

Chilean dwarf dolphin (scientific name: Cephalorhynchus eutropia) is also known as Chilean Dolphin and Black dolphin in foreign languages. There is no subspecies.Little is known about the Chilean dwarf dolphin, but it is generally believed that this species of dolphin is cautious by nature; it rarel...

Cephalorhynchus commersonii

Cephalorhynchus commersonii

Black and white dolphin, panda dolphin, Connor's dwarf dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:The beak is quite sharp, with unclear boundaries between it and the forehead, and the pattern on its body is very similar to that of a panda.

The spotted beaked dolphin is the common name of Commerson's dolphin (scientific name: Cephalorhynchus commersonii), also known as Commerson's dolphin in English, and has two subspecies.Spotted beaked dolphins usually live in groups of 1 to 3, and there are also large groups of more than 100...

Cephalorhynchus hectori

Cephalorhynchus hectori

Hector's dolphin, Atlantic black and white dolphin, white-headed dolphin, New Zealand dolphin, white-headed beaked dolphin, Hector's dwarf dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:One of the rarest species and the smallest oceanic dolphin

New Zealand black and white dolphins (scientific name: Cephalorhynchus hectori) are called Hector's Dolphin and Dolphin in foreign languages. There are two subspecies.New Zealand black and white dolphins usually gather in small groups of 2-10. These small groups sometimes temporarily unite to fo...

Orcaella brevirostris

Orcaella brevirostris

Irrawaddy dolphin, fin dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:The body is stout, round and streamlined, with a large forehead and a blunt and round head.

Irrawaddy dolphin (scientific name: Orcaella brevirostris), foreign name Irrawaddy dolphin, no subspecies.Irrawaddy dolphins are social animals, usually 3 to 6 in groups, the social behavior of group members occurs within and outside the group, and they also swim with other groups. When Irrawaddy do...

Globicephala melas

Globicephala melas

Atlantic pilot whale, black whale, pilot whale

Cetacea LC

Features:Its forehead is round and its dorsal fin is sickle-shaped. Its flippers are very long, accounting for 15-20% of its body length.

Long-finned pilot whale (scientific name: Globicephala melas) is also known as Atlantic pilot whale and black round-headed whale. There are two subspecies.Long-finned pilot whales are a group of organisms that like to live in cold salt water areas with a temperature of 13-30℃. The diving depth is 3...

Lissodelphis peronii

Lissodelphis peronii

Southern whale dolphin, beaked dolphin without dorsal fin

Cetacea LC

Features:The only dolphin in the Southern Hemisphere without a dorsal fin

The Southern Right Dolphin (scientific name: Lissodelphis peronii) is also known as the Southern Right Whale Dolphin. It has no subspecies. It is the only dolphin in the Southern Hemisphere without a dorsal fin, and has a distinct black and white pattern on its body. If the Southern Right Dolphin is...

Lissodelphis borealis

Lissodelphis borealis

Northern whale dolphin, warm water finless beaked dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:The body is slender, tapering towards the tail like an eel, and the whole body is generally black with a white belly.

Northern right whale dolphin (scientific name: Lissodelphis borealis) is called Northern right whale dolphin in foreign language, and has no subspecies.When the northern right dolphin swims and jumps quickly, the overall impression given is that of a leap; each leap can reach up to 7 meters. Very ea...

Stenella longirostris

Stenella longirostris

Spinner dolphin, spinner dolphin, long-beaked spinner dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:The snout is slender and accounts for 8.1% to 9.9% of the body length, the longest among the genus Prodolphins.

Long-beaked dolphin (scientific name: Stenella longirostris) is also known as Spinner Dolphin in English. There are 4 subspecies.There are about 118 long-beaked dolphins in the northern Mozambique Channel surrounding Mayotte Island. They often travel in groups of more than 200, and large groups of 1...

Lagenorhynchus albirostris

Lagenorhynchus albirostris

White-nosed dolphin, white-beaked dolphin, squid-hunting dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:Not all beaks are white, but from a close distance, the pure white beaks are particularly obvious.

White-beaked dolphin (scientific name: Lagenorhynchus albirostris) is called white-beaked dolphin in foreign language, and has no subspecies.White-beaked dolphins especially like to perform bow riding in front of large, fast-moving ships, but usually lose interest quickly. Some groups are very elusi...

Lagenorhynchus acutus

Lagenorhynchus acutus

Atlantic white-sided dolphin, jumping dolphin, bouncing dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:Atlantic white-sided dolphin, jumping dolphin, bouncing dolphin

Atlantic White-sided Dolphin (scientific name: Lagenorhynchus acutus) is also known as Atlantic White-sided Dolphin. It has no subspecies. Atlantic White-sided Dolphin is currently classified in a polymorphic genus (Cipriano 1997). However, molecular biological studies have shown that this species i...

Pontoporia blainvillei

Pontoporia blainvillei

La Plata River Dolphin

Cetacea LC

Features:It is the only freshwater dolphin that lives in the sea.

The scientific name of the Lapu-Lapu river dolphin is Pontoporia blainvillei. It is the only freshwater dolphin that lives in the sea, but it prefers shallow coastal waters.The pufferfish is a carnivore that often swims to the shallow water near the shore to hunt at dawn and dusk. It usually swallow...

Inia geoffrensis

Inia geoffrensis

Amazon porpoise

Cetacea LC

Features:The largest dolphin in the world

The scientific name of the river dolphin is Inia geoffrensis. It is the largest dolphin in the world and one of the few dolphins that is still common. During the dry season, river dolphins gather in groups of about a dozen; in other seasons, they live in groups. The sound of the puffs can be loud or...

Rhinolophus medius

Rhinolophus medius

Rhinolophus affinis

Features:The posterior nasal concavity is obvious and the palate bridge is the shortest.

The middle horseshoe bat is a common cave bat species. It lives in moist caves, abandoned mines, tunnels, etc. It can live in the same cave with the big-footed bat (<Hipposideros armiger>), the small horseshoe bat (<Rhinolophus pusillus>), the Pi's horseshoe bat (<R. pearsonii>...

Malayan false vampire bat

Malayan false vampire bat

Features:There is a prominent longitudinal ridge in the center of the nose

This species belongs to the subgenus <Megaderma>. Bergmans & Bree (1986) discussed the subspecies differentiation in Indonesia. The specimens found by Zhang Libiao et al. (2010) in Mengla County, Yunnan Province, have morphological characteristics consistent with the main characteristics o...

Megaderma lyra

Megaderma lyra

Megaderma lyra

Features:No blood-sucking habit

The Indian false vampire bat usually moves in groups of dozens and does not mix with other bats. It is carnivorous and feeds on insects, spiders, and small vertebrates (such as small fish, frogs, birds, mice, and even other species of bats). It often flies within 3 meters of the ground to find food,...

Rousettus leschenaulti

Rousettus leschenaulti

Rousettus leschenaulti、Leschenault's rousette

Features:Dog-like face, oval ears

Brown fruit bats are typical tropical bats that do not hibernate. Although they often live in the same cave with other bats, they never mix with them. In addition, in caves where fruit bats live, fruit bats dominate the population, which seems to be a phenomenon of interspecies exclusion. In the hot...

Tasmacetus shepherdi

Tasmacetus shepherdi

Shea's beaked whale, Tasman's whale, Tasman's beaked whale

Cetacea LC

Features:

Shepherd's beaked whale, scientific name Tasmacetus shepherdi, foreign name Shepherd's Beaked Whale, is a little-known cetacean, with only about 20 stranding incidents and a few possible sightings. Increasing research in the Southern Hemisphere may find more specimens, but the evidence shows...

Indopacetus pacificus

Indopacetus pacificus

Longman's beaked whale, Pacific beaked whale, Indo-Pacific beaked whale

Cetacea LC

Features:There is a pair of teeth at the front of the lower jaw

Longman's Beaked Whale (Scientific Name: Indopacetus pacificus) is also known as Longman's Beaked Whale (English), Baleine à bec de Longman (French), Zifio de Longman (Spanish), formerly known as Longman's Beaked Whale, also known as Pacific Beaked Whale and Indo-Pacific Beaked Whale. I...

Mesoplodon hotaula

Mesoplodon hotaula

Cetacea LC

Features:

The Sri Lankan Mesoplodon hotaula was first described in 1963 and was considered a synonym of the Ginkgotoothed Mesoplodon ginkgodens in 1965, but until recently, mitochondrial and nuclear studies have shown that the genes of the Mesoplodon hotaula are different from those of the Ginkgotoothed Mesop...

Mesoplodon traversii

Mesoplodon traversii

Cetacea LC

Features:It is a rare species living in the ocean.

Spade-toothed whale (Mesoplodon traversii), foreign media reported that scientists discovered the world's rarest whale for the first time in New Zealand. In December 2010, two spade-toothed beaked whales, a mother and her calf, were found stranded on Opape Beach on New Zealand's North Island...

Mesoplodon stejnegeri

Mesoplodon stejnegeri

Stein's beaked whale, North Pacific beaked whale, Saber-toothed beaked whale, Bering Sea beaked whale

Cetacea LC

Features:The teeth are in the center of the lip line, and the dark forehead is gently sloping.

Stejneger's Beaked Whale, scientific name Mesoplodon stejnegeri, foreign name Stejneger's Beaked Whale, is not easy to see at sea, and it is rare to see it alive. Maybe it is rare, but it may just live in an area where few people study it and avoid people's attention. Small groups someti...