MAMMAL INFORMATION

We have categorized mammals into the following 4 groups :-

1] Common mammals eg. giraffe, hippopotamus, dog etc.

2] Monotremes – (Egg laying mammals) : duck billed platypus, spiny-ant eater, echidnas
3] Marsupials - animals that carry their young ones in their pouch. Eg. koalas, kangaroos
4] Flying mammals – bats

Characteristics :
1] They give birth to young ones.
2] They produce milk.
3] They are warm blooded.
4] They are hairy / furry.
5] They are vertebrates.

INTERESTING FACTS :-

1] Smallest Mammal : Bumblebee bat

2] Largest Mammal : Blue Whale
3] Largest Mammal on land : Elephant
4] Tallest Mammal : Giraffe
5] Slowest Mammal : Sloth bear
6] Fastest Mammal : Cheetah

1] Artic hare has brown fur in summer but it turns white in winter.
2] Different kinds of monkeys – baboons, orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas, apes, snow
monkeys etc.
3] A Blue whale’s heart is the same size as that of a Volkswagen Beetle car.
4] Camel is called the “Ship of the Desert”. Two types : 1 humped and 2 humped ones.
Can survive without water for almost 2 weeks.
5] When the eggs of the platypus hatch, the mother platypus feeds the babies milk. They
have a flat mouth like a duck’s beak, waterproof fur and webbed feet for swimming.
6] Bats hang upside-down because they can’t stand right side up. Their leg bones are too
thin to hold up their bodies.
7] Giraffes sleep standing up so that they can run if a predator comes near.
8] Hippopotamus is also called river horse. They close their nostrils to keep water out of
their nose.
9] The paws of a polar bear are as big as dinner plates.
10] Two kinds of rhinos : black rhino and white rhino.
11] Every zebra’s / tiger’s stripes are different.
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BABIES :-
 Blue Whale : Calf Zebra : Foal
 Camel : Calf
 Cheetahs / Lion / Tiger : Cub
 Dolphin : Calf
 Elephant : Calf
 Panda : Cub
 Giraffe : Calf
 Kangaroo / Koala : Joey
 Polar Bear : Cub
 MAMMAL FACTS
Apart from the 4 groups of mammals mentioned earlier, there is one more group called the
Marine Mammals like whales : blue whale, sperm whale, beluga whale, narwhal whale,
etc., dolphins, seals, otters, manatees, dugongs, sea lions, polar bears, walruses, dolphins,
porpoises etc.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS :

Biggest Mammal : Blue whale

Biggest Dolphin : Orca or Killer Whale (belongs to the dolphin
family)
Manatees : Also called “sea cows”

 The blue whale grows about 25 mtrs long and weighs nearly 200 tons, more than the
weight of 50 adult elephants. Its tongue weighs about 4 tons, the weight of an
elephant.

 Fin Whale, also called Finback Whale, weighing about 70000 kg, and is the second
largest whale in the world and also the second largest living animal on earth.

 When a dolphin sleeps, it closes one half of its brain and one eye. The other half of
the brain and the second eye are closed during other times of the days.

 A platypus is considered to be an assortment of a number of species, namely the

duck (bill and webbed feet), beaver (tail) and otter (body and fur). Platypuses hunt in
the water, but live on land. They swim with their eyes, ears and nostrils shut. It
propels forward with the help of its forefeet. Platypus is one of the few venomous
mammals. The male platypus can deliver a poison, causing severe pain to humans,
through a spur on its hind foot.

 Whales have one or two nostril openings, called blowholes, located far back on the
top of the head. It needs to come to the water's surface to exhale its carbon dioxide
and inhale a fresh supply of oxygen. Since it cannot breathe under water, its
blowholes (nostrils) remain closed until it reaches the surface. When it does, the
blowholes open up and warm air is exhaled.

 All narwhals have two teeth in their upper jaw. After the first year of a male
narwhal's life, its left tooth grows outward, spirally. This long, single tooth projects
from its upper jaw and can grow to be 2-3 metres long.
 REPTILE INFORMATION
Reptiles are animals with backbones, hence they are called vertebrates. They are cold-
blooded, so their body temperatures keep changing. They are covered with folded pieces
of hard skin called scales. They breathe through their lungs. Most reptiles are carnivores
but some are plant eating reptiles. Most reptiles hatch from eggs but some are born alive.
Reptiles are classified as under :-

1] Crocodiles, alligators, gharial and caiman

2] Snakes and lizards
3] Tortoises and turtles
4] Tuatara – found only in New Zealand. They have a third eye on top of their
head. Scales cover the eye. It is used to notice change of seasons and length
of the day.

Interesting information :-

 The large fourth tooth in the lower jaw of an alligator fits into a socket in the
upper jaw and is not visible when the alligator’s mouth is closed. In crocodiles,
this tooth is visible even when the crocodile’s mouth is shut.
 Alligators can go through 2000-3000 teeth in a lifetime.
 Gharials have very long, thin snouts with a pot-like tip.
 When baby crocodiles are in danger, the mother flips them into her mouth for
protection.
 Alligators and crocodiles are hunted for their skin, which is used to make
expensive shoes and handbags.

World’s Largest Lizard : Komodo Dragon

World’s biggest reptile : Saltwater crocodile of Asia and Australia

(upto 7 metres long)

Oldest recorded tortoise : 152 years old

Biggest Snake : Anaconda of South America

Chameleon’s sticky tongue is longer than its whole body.

To keep its eyes moist and squeaky clean, the gecko licks them using its long tongue.
 INTERESTING FACTS

Snakes and lizards belong to the same family. Snakes eat only live food. Most snakes eat
rats, birds, rabbits and sometimes they even eat their cousins, the lizards!!! Small snakes
eat mice, worms, frogs, snails, and insects. Snakes don't chew their food. They swallow
it whole. Big pythons can swallow whole pigs, small deer, goats etc.

Facts :-

- The Frilled Lizard is small and harmless but it pretends to be big and
dangerous. When it opens its mouth its throat is bright red and frightening. A big flap of
skin on its neck lifts up and spreads out. The lizard suddenly looks much bigger and very
dangerous!

- Snakes can bend and twist because their backbone is made up of hundreds of
tiny bones(400 - 500), all linked together like a chain.

- Lizards can snap off their tails when they're being attacked. The dropped tail
wriggles, puzzling the enemy, and giving the lizard time to escape. A new tail grows in a
few weeks.

- The stumpy - tailed skink has a stumpy tail the same shape as its head. As long
as it keeps its mouth shut, its enemies can't tell whether the lizard is coming or going.

- The Gila monster and the Mexican bearded lizard are the only two venomous
lizards.

- Chameleons have eyes that can move independently and look in two directions
at once, as well as swivel nearly 180 degrees.

- Chameleons change colour when they are afraid, angry, in pain or even when
they are sleeping - so if the light changes around them, their color will change
accordingly to keep them camouflaged.

- The fastest snake in the world is the “Black Mamba” of Africa - brown, gray or
olive, but never black in colour.

- Snakes shed their skin on a regular basis (moulting) by rubbing its head on a
rock or a piece of wood.