Mammals are the only living members of Synapsida; this clade, together with Sauropsida (reptiles and birds), constitutes the larger Amniota clade. Early synapsids are referred to as "pelycosaurs." The more advanced therapsids became dominant during the Guadalupian. Mammals originated from cynodonts, an advanced group of therapsids, during the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic. Mammals achieved their modern diversity in the Paleogene and Neogene periods of the Cenozoic era, after the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, and have been the dominant terrestrial animal group from 66 million years ago to the present.
The basic mammalian body type is quadrupedal, with most mammals using four limbs for terrestrial locomotion; but in some, the limbs are adapted for life at sea, in the air, in trees or underground. The bipeds have adapted to move using only the two lower limbs, while the rear limbs of cetaceans and the sea cows are mere internal vestiges. Mammals range in size from the 30–40 millimetres (1.2–1.6 in) bumblebee bat to the 30 metres (98 ft) blue whale—possibly the largest animal to have ever lived. Maximum lifespan varies from two years for the shrew to 211 years for the bowhead whale. All modern mammals give birth to live young, except the five species of monotremes, which lay eggs. The most species-rich group is the viviparousplacental mammals, so named for the temporary organ (placenta) used by offspring to draw nutrition from the mother during gestation.
Domestication of many types of mammals by humans played a major role in the Neolithic Revolution, and resulted in farming replacing hunting and gathering as the primary source of food for humans. This led to a major restructuring of human societies from nomadic to sedentary, with more co-operation among larger and larger groups, and ultimately the development of the first civilizations. Domesticated mammals provided, and continue to provide, power for transport and agriculture, as well as food (meat and dairy products), fur, and leather. Mammals are also hunted and raced for sport, kept as pets and working animals of various types, and are used as model organisms in science. Mammals have been depicted in art since Paleolithic times, and appear in literature, film, mythology, and religion. Decline in numbers and extinction of many mammals is primarily driven by human poaching and habitat destruction, primarily deforestation. (Full article...)
The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is a species of the family Rhinocerotidae, and one of five extant rhinoceri. It is the smallest rhinoceros, standing about 120–145 centimetres (3.9–4.8 ft) high at the shoulder, with a body length of 250 centimetres (98 in) and weight of 500–800 kilograms (1100–1760 lb). Like its African counterparts, the black and white rhinoceri, it has two horns; the larger is the nasal horn, typically 15–25 centimetres (6–10 in), while the other is typically a stub. A coat of reddish-brown hair covers most of the rhino's body. Members of the species once ranged throughout rainforests, swamps and cloud forests in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They are now critically endangered, with only six substantial populations in the wild: four on Sumatra, one on Borneo, and one on peninsular Malaysia. Their numbers are difficult to determine because they are solitary animals that are widely scattered across their range, but they are estimated to number around just 300. The decline in the number of Sumatran rhinoceri is attributed primarily to poaching for their ivory horns, which are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine, fetching as much as US$30,000 per kilogram on the black market. The rhinos have also suffered from habitat loss as their forests have been cleared for lumber and conversion to agriculture.
...that one burrow of the eastern chipmunk(pictured) was found to contain 390 acorns?
.. that the Hare Indian dog, now extinct, was not known to bark, but puppies learned to imitate the barking of other dogs when the breed was introduced to Europe?
The kob (Kobus kob) is an antelope found across Central Africa and parts of West Africa and East Africa. It is closely related to the reedbucks and waterbucks and similar in appearance to the impala but more heavily built. Kob have few strong social bonds, but females can live in herds numbering in the thousands. Males are generally territorial, although on densely-populated floodplains some males live in clustered territories known as leks.
A female cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) on the Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cheetahs accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 km/h) in less than 3 seconds and average 40 mph (64 km/h) during a chase. The species is classified as vulnerable, with only 7,000 left in the wild.
The olive baboon (Papio anubis) is an Old World monkey found in 25 countries throughout Africa, making it the most widely ranging of all baboons. It is named for its coat, which, at a distance, is a shade of green-grey. At closer range, its coat is multi-colored, due to rings of yellow-brown and black on the hairs. It is omnivorous, finding nutrition in almost any environment, and able to adapt with different foraging tactics.
The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized African antelope. The name comes from the Zulu language. They are normally reddish-brown, with lighter flanks, white underbellies, and a characteristic "M" marking on the rear. Males have lyre-shaped horns, which can reach up to 90 cm (35 in) in length. They are strong jumpers, able to reach distances more than 10 m (33 ft) in a single bound. They are also fast runners, capable of reaching speeds up to 90 km/h (56 mph).
The European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a hedgehog species native to western and northern Europe. Adults are 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) in length, weighing from 600 to 1,200 g (21 to 42 oz), depending on the season, with males slightly larger than females. It is nocturnal, and if alarmed will roll itself into a ball, protecting itself against potential predators with its spines.
The Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a widespread, medium-sized, omnivorousmammal of North America. It has black facial colorings around the eyes, and has a bushy tail with light and dark alternating rings. The coat is a mixture of gray, brown, and black fur. The characteristic eye colorings make the animal look like it is wearing a "bandit's mask," which has enhanced the animal's reputation for mischief, vandalism, and thievery.
Skull of a male North Sulawesi babirusa, a species from the pig family endemic to Indonesia. Babirusas are notable for the long upper canines in the males that emerge vertically from the alveolar process, penetrating though the skin and curving backward over the front of the face and towards the forehead.
A female African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. These herbivorous mammals are the largest land animals on Earth; males average 3.3 metres (11 ft) tall at the shoulders and 5.5 tonnes (12,000 lb) in weight, whereas females average 2.8 metres (9.2 ft) in height and 3.7 tonnes (8,200 lb) in weight. Owing to their great size, adult African bush elephants have no natural predators except for humans. Calves, however, are preyed on by lions and crocodiles.
The cat is a small felinecarnivorousmammal that has been domesticated for several millennia. A male cat is usually called a tom cat, a female cat is called a queen. A young cat is called a kitten (as are baby rats, rabbits, hedgehogs and squirrels).
The term African elephant refers to elephants of the genus Loxodonta. Shown here is the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), one of two extant species and the largest living terrestrial animal, with males standing 3.2–4.0 m (10.5–13.1 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighing 4,700–6,048 kg (10,362–13,334 lb).
The Indian Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) is a squirrel native to India and Sri Lanka. It is relatively small, about the size of a rat, with three white stripes on its back from head to tail. According to Hindu legend, Lord Rama was so pleased with a squirrel's help in the construction of a bridge at Rameswaram that he stroked the squirrel's back and his fingers left their mark in the form of stripes.
The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) is a species of squirrel native throughout North America and can be found in a wide variety of forest habitats as well as rocky meadows, and even sagebrush flats. It can be identified by its chipmunk-like stripes and coloration, but unlike chipmunks, it lacks any facial stripes.
The European bison or wisent (Bison bonasus) is the heaviest of the surviving land animals in Europe, with males growing to around 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). European bison were hunted to extinction in the wild, but have since been reintroduced from captivity into several countries. This male is moulting, his winter coat coming off in clumps.
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