What is a Mammal?

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There are over 4,000 different species of mammals on Earth, and they come in all sizes and shapes.

Mammals include some of the largest animals found on our planet, like whales.

They are also some of the most intelligent animals, like elephants and some primate species, this includes us, humans.

Although sometimes we don't seem too bright as a species, and that's why 1 out of 4 of the world’s mammal species are currently threatened with extinction. Mammals have been around for 200 million years.

The largest mammal that we know of is the blue whale, which can be 100 feet long and weigh 150 tons and the tiny hog-nosed bat which weighs only 0.05 ounces is the smallest.

But even if mammals adapted to live on land or water, all mammals on earth share some common characteristics.

They are vertebrates, meaning they have a backbone or spine.

They are endothermic or “warm-blooded” and unlike "cold-blooded" reptiles, mammals can regulate their body temperature allowing them to live in almost every habitat and climate on Earth.

They have hair on their bodies.

They give birth to live young, with a few exceptions that lay eggs.

They feed their babies with milk produced by females.

This means parents spend more time with their young teaching them important skills they need to survive.

Did You Know?

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the world's biggest lizard species and also one of few venomous lizard species.