What is a mammal? (2024)

Mammal groups

Mammals are divided into three groups - monotremes, marsupials and placentals, all of which have fur, produce milk and are warm-blooded.

Monotremes are the platypus and echidnas and the females lay soft-shelled eggs.

Marsupials give birth to small, poorly developed young and most female marsupials, such as kangaroos, wallabies and the Koala, have pouches.

Placental mammals, like humans, whales, rodents and bats, differ from monotremes and marsupials in that they generally give birth to well-developed young.

Mammals are a diverse group, but all mammals-

  • produce milk to feed their young
  • have hair or fur
  • have a unique jaw structure
  • are warm-blooded

Evidence that mammals evolved from reptiles is provided by fossils 250-180 million years old. These fossils include a large number of species that share so many reptilian and mammalian features that they cannot be assigned to either group.

There are 17 orders of terrestrial (land) mammals in Australia.; made up of 4 groups- monotremes, marsupials, rodents and bat. This includes endemic species native to Australia.

All 3 groups of marine mammals, cetaceans, seals and dugongs occur in Australian coastal waters.

What is a mammal? (2024)

FAQs

What is a mammal short answer? ›

A mammal is an animal that breathes air, has a backbone, and grows hair at some point during its life. In addition, all female mammals have glands that can produce milk. Mammals are among the most intelligent of all living creatures. Mammals include a wide variety of animals, from cats to humans to whales.

What is considered a mammal? ›

Mammals have hair or fur; are warm-blooded; most are born alive; the young are fed milk produced by the mother's mammary glands; and they have a more complex brain than other animals. 2. How do mammals feed their young? Mammals feed their young with milk produced by the mother in special organs called mammary glands.

What best describes a mammal? ›

Mammals are distinguished from other vertebrate animals by several unique features. All mammals produce and secrete milk from mammary glands to feed their offspring. They also have hair on their bodies, although some mammalian groups have less hair than others.

What is a mammal quizlet? ›

1) warmblooded. 2) vertebrates. 3) have hair or fur. 4) feed their young with milk produced in mammary glands. 5) they provide their young with more care than other animals.

Is a human a mammal? ›

Humans are classified as mammals because humans have the same distinctive features (listed above) found in all members of this large group. Humans are also classified within: the subgroup of mammals called primates; and the subgroup of primates called apes and in particular the 'Great Apes'

Is a dog a mammal? ›

A dog is a domestic mammal of the family Canidae and the order Carnivora. Its scientific name is Canis lupus familiaris. Dogs are a subspecies of the gray wolf, and they are also related to foxes and jackals.

Is a monkey a mammal? ›

All of the various species of monkeys belong to the class Mammalia, meaning that they are classified as mammals. Mammals are a diverse class of animals distinguished by their endothermic metabolism, brain structure (especially the possession of a neocortex), and the use of mammary glands to feed their young.

Is a rabbit a mammal? ›

Rabbits are mammals, which are warm blooded animals with backbones. They like to live in groups and dig tunnels under the ground to protect themselves. They are prey and have many predators that like to eat them. Rabbits are herbivores, which means they like to eat only plants.

Is a shark a mammal? ›

They are not mammals because they lack all of the characteristics that define mammals. They don't have warm blood, for example. Sharks are classified as fish, despite the fact that, unlike most fish, their skeleton is made of cartilage.

Is a kangaroo a mammal? ›

Kangaroos, rats, bats and humans (i.e us!) are all examples of animals that can be identified as mammals because they share the following features: Milk-making glands (mammary glands) from which new-born young take nourishment. Mammals (Mammalia) are actually named after these glands.

Is a bear a mammal? ›

Bears are mammals that belong to the family Ursidae. They can be as small as four feet long and about 60 pounds (the sun bear) to as big as eight feet long and more than a thousand pounds (the polar bear). They're found throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

What animals are not mammals? ›

Non-mammalian vertebrates include fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Soybeans are an important source of non-mammalian protein. The sea lamprey, the slime mold, and the roundworm were three of nine non-mammalian organisms chosen for genetic sequencing.

What is considered to be a mammal? ›

A mammal (from Latin mamma 'breast') is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (/məˈmeɪli.ə/). Mammals are characterized by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones.

What is a mammal answer? ›

What is a mammals? Mammals are vertebrates with hair, mammary glands used to suckle young with milk, a diaphragm, three bones in the middle ear, and a lower jaw made up of a single pair of bones that articulates in a unique way with the skull.

What mammal means? ›

noun. mam·​mal ˈmam-əl. : any of a class of warm-blooded vertebrates that include human beings and all other animals that nourish their young with milk produced by mammary glands and have the skin usually more or less covered with hair.

What is mammal for kids? ›

Mammals include humans and all other animals that are warm-blooded vertebrates (vertebrates have backbones) with hair. They feed their young with milk and have a more well-developed brain than other types of animals.

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