Mammal Facts

Mammal Facts

long eared desert hedgehog africa middle east

Long-eared desert hedgehog

 

There are about 5,400 species of mammals in the air and water and on the land.

 

Some characteristics of mammals are:

  • mammary glands
  • hair
  • diaphragm
  • three middle-ear ossicles
  • heterodont dentation
  • sweat, sebaceous, and scent glands
  • four-chambered heart
  • large cerebral cortex

 

Mammal record setters – the big, the bad, and the ugly:

  • Fastest – cheetah at 60-70 mph (97-110 kph)
  • Slowest – sloths
  • Biggest – blue whale
  • Biggest on the land – african elephant
  • Biggest primate – gorilla
  • Biggest fish – whale shark
  • Tallest – giraffe
  • Smallest – pygmy shrew (1.2-2.7 g) or maybe the bumblebee bat (about 2 g)
  • Loudest – blue whale
  • Loudest on land – howler monkey
  • Smelliest – striped skunk
  • Ugliest – aye-aye or maybe the solenodon
  • Fatest – blue whale
  • Badest – man
  • Wickedest – bats
  • Venomest – male duckbilled platypus, some shrews, and the solenodon

 

Some of the orders of mammals are: