The mammals are vertebrates, they thus have a skeleton and they are warm blooded. They must thus maintain a stable body temperature to survice, contrary to the frog which is a cold blooded animal. The mammals are usually covered with hair, completely or partially. They do not lay eggs, except the platypus, and carry their offspring in their bodies until the birth of their offspring.
The mammals are carnivorous if they only eat prey, herbivores if they eat only plants or omnivores if the eat both plants and animals. The offsrpring are nourished by their mothers milk until they are able to digest solid food.
The terrestrial mammals move on two or four legs. Only the bat is a flying mammal, the flying squirrel doesn't really fly. It just glides on air currents. There are also marine mammals like the whale and the dolphin which live exclusively in water.
The time of reproduction of the mammals depends on the species, some reproduce only at certain periods of the year and others in any time. The time of maturation, the age to become adult and to reproduce, their anatomy and gestation periods are also different for each species.
Certain mammals are harmful, like the rats, or useful, like cattle. Certain species of small mammals were domesticated like the hamsters, the dogs, the cat... for their company. Others were domesticated for their utility, like ox, the pig... for leather and the meat and others.
Naturally certain mammals are dangerous, like the wolf, the lynx, the bear... It is important to take safety precautions when in their company. Others can be just unpleasant, like the skunk whose odor is a means of defense. |
