What environments do mammals live in? Class mammals, or animals. digestive system. breath. origin of mammals. the importance of mammals and the protection of useful animals. The main orders of placental mammals

The ancestors of ancient mammals were reptiles with toothed teeth. They were so named because they had a tooth structure similar to mammals. In the course of evolution, a group of small animals that outwardly resemble oviparous animals separated from them. In the process of natural selection, these animals developed a more developed brain, and, therefore, they were characterized by more challenging behavior. At the end of the Mesozoic, after the extinction of the dinosaurs, ancient mammals mastered various places habitats in terrestrial ecosystems.

Representatives of the class Mammals, or Animals, are higher vertebrates, warm-blooded animals, whose bodies are covered with hair. Animals give birth to cubs and feed them with milk. They have a large brain with well-developed forebrain hemispheres. They are characterized by caring for their offspring and the most complex behavior. In the process of evolution, mammals have achieved enormous diversity due to the formation of adaptations to different living conditions. About 4 thousand are known. modern species.

When identifying mammals, you should pay attention to: fur color, body and head shape, body and tail length.

• Animals that hunt at night usually have large eyes.
• Some animals have large ears in order to hear better.
• Wool allows the mammal to keep warm; in addition, coloring helps to hide from the eyes of enemies.
• The tail helps the animal maintain balance. Different species of animals have tails that vary in length and thickness.
• Most animals have an excellent sense of smell.
• The shape of the teeth depends on the food to which the animal is accustomed.
• Whiskers help the animal find its way, especially in the dark.
• The mammary glands produce milk for the offspring.
• Powerful aromatic glands under the tail allow the animal to mark its territory.
• Number of toes on paws different types different, so the animal is easy to identify by its tracks.

The body of mammals consists of a head, neck, torso, tail and two pairs of limbs. On the head there are facial and cranial sections. The mouth is located in front, surrounded by soft lips. The eyes are protected by movable eyelids. Only mammals have an external ear - the auricle.

The body of mammals is covered with hair, which reliably protects against sudden temperature changes. Each hair grows from a hair follicle embedded in the skin. Hair, claws, nails, horns, hooves come from the same skin rudiments as reptile scales. The skin of mammals is rich in glands. The secretions of the sebaceous glands located at the base of the hair lubricate the skin and hair, making it elastic and waterproof. Sweat glands are involved in cooling the body and excreting toxic substances. The mammary glands secrete milk.

The limbs of mammals are not located on the sides, like those of amphibians and reptiles, but under the body. Therefore, the body is raised above the ground. This makes it easier to move on land.

Musculoskeletal system

The skeleton of mammals, like all terrestrial vertebrates, consists of five sections, but has a number of characteristic features. The animals have large skulls.

The teeth are differentiated into incisors, canines and molars, and are placed in recesses - alveoli. The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae. Internal organs protects the chest. The sacral section fuses with the bones of the pelvis. The number of vertebrae in the caudal region depends on the length of the tail. The skeleton and the muscles attached to its bones make up a powerful musculoskeletal system, allowing the animal to make many complex movements and move actively.

Respiratory system

In mammals, a diaphragm appears—a muscular septum that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. Due to it, animals can further reduce or increase the volume chest.

When muscles work intensively, the body requires a large number of oxygen. In this regard, mammals have well-developed lungs.

Circulatory system

Circulatory system mammals consists of two blood circulation circles and a four-chambered heart. The movement of arterial and venous blood through the vessels ensures rapid metabolism, thereby maintaining a constant body temperature.

Digestive system

The digestive system begins with the oral cavity. Here food is crushed, ground with teeth and moistened with saliva secreted salivary glands. In animals that eat rough plant feed, the stomach consists of several sections, and the intestines are long. The stomach and intestines are home to various protozoa that decompose plant fiber.

Carnivores have a simpler stomach structure and shorter intestines. All mammals have a well-developed liver and pancreas.

Excretory system

The excretory organs of mammals are two kidneys. The urine formed in them flows through the ureters into the bladder, and from there it is periodically excreted.

Litter

Mammals leave droppings in any weather. Predator droppings usually have an oblong shape and contain undigested animal remains; the droppings of herbivores are most often round, with an admixture of plant fibers.

Nervous system

High level developed in mammals nervous system, especially the brain. In the forebrain, due to the growth and thickening of the cortex, the cerebral hemispheres developed. In carnivorous mammals and monkeys, the cortex forms convolutions that increase its area. In this regard, animals have complex behavior, they have memory, elements of rational activity. They are able to communicate their state, intentions, and express emotions. The degree of development of the sense organs depends on the lifestyle and habitat of a particular species.

The cubs of most animals develop in the mother's body and are born fully formed. The mother feeds them with milk. Mothers, and sometimes fathers, look after the younger generation and protect it until the cubs can fend for themselves. Cats, foxes and other predators teach their offspring to hunt. Small mammals, for example, mice, have several broods per year; the offspring stays with their mother for only a few days, after which they begin an independent life.

Milk feeding

Feeding babies with milk is a very important feature of mammals. Milk is highly nutritious and contains all the necessary substances for the growth and development of the baby. The color of milk depends on the amount of fat. Fat is included in milk in the form of microscopic droplets and is therefore easily digested and absorbed in the baby’s body.

Ecological groups of mammals

Adaptation to the environment

Depending on the characteristics of the processes of reproduction and development, mammals are divided into two subclasses: Primordial beasts And Animals.

Primordial beasts

Representatives of the first animals lay eggs, which they then incubate ( platypus) or carried in a pouch on the belly (echidna). The hatched cubs lick the milk, which is released onto the mother's belly.

Animals

Animals are divided into infraclasses Inferior, or Marsupials, And Highest, or Placental.Material from the site

Marsupials

Marsupials, distributed mainly in Australia, give birth to small and helpless cubs. They are carried by the female in a pouch for several months, attached to the nipple of the mammary gland.

Placental

Placentals have a special organ for the development of a fertilized egg - the uterus. The embryo in it is attached to the wall by the placenta and receives nutrients and oxygen from the mother through the umbilical cord.

Among the placentals, the order is especially distinguished Primates. It includes the most developed representatives of the animal world, most of which are monkeys. This order also includes humans.

Role in nature

Representatives of mammals differ from each other in their lifestyle, the type of food they consume, and therefore perform different functions in ecosystems. Herbivorous mammals are primary consumers organic matter. Beasts of Prey contribute to the regulation of the number of herbivorous animals. Many rodents and insectivorous mammals participate in soil formation. The passages they create in the soil contribute to its enrichment with moisture, air, organic and inorganic substances.

Role in a person's life

Man began to domesticate mammals and birds about 15 thousand years ago. Probably the first domestic animal was the dog, then the goat, sheep, and cattle were domesticated. The domestication of animals led to sedentism, and people began to engage in animal husbandry and agriculture.

Pictures (photos, drawings)

• 4.91. External structure mammal

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  4.92. Mammal skeleton

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  4.93. Mammalian circulatory system

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  4.94. Digestive, respiratory and excretory systems of a mammal

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  4.95. Mammal brain

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  4.96. Expression of emotions in a mammal

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  4.97. Representatives of mammals: a) primal beast (echidna); b) lower animals - marsupials (kangaroos)

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  4.98. Supposed appearance ancient mammal

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Quite difficult: different scientists have their own views on which animals belong to a certain order, superorder, clade, group and all the other complex terms that biologists use when untangling the branches of the tree of life. To make the classification a little easier, in this article you will discover an alphabetical list and characteristics of mammal orders, which most scientists agree with.

Afrosoricides and insectivores

An order of mammals formerly known as insectivores ( insectivora), has undergone great changes in Lately, splitting into two new orders: insectivores ( Eulipotyphia) and afrosoricides ( Afrosoricida). In the last category are two very obscure creatures: bristly hedgehogs from South Africa and golden moles from Africa and Madagascar.

Common tenrec

To the squad Eulipotyphia includes hedgehogs, slittooths, shrews and moles. All members of this order (and most Afrosoricidae) are tiny, narrow-nosed, insectivorous animals with bodies covered in thick fur or spines.

Armadillos and edentates

Nine-banded armadillo

The ancestors of armadillos and edentates first arose in South America about 60 million years ago. Animals from these orders are characterized unusual shape vertebrae Sloths, armadillos and anteaters, which belong to the superorder edentates ( Xenarthra), have the most sluggish metabolism of any other living mammal. Males have internal testes.

Today, these animals are on the edge of the mammalian class, but at the time, they were among the largest organisms on Earth, as evidenced by the five-ton prehistoric sloth Megatherium, as well as the two-ton prehistoric armadillo Glyptodon.

Rodents

Spiny mouse

The largest order of mammals, consisting of more than 2,000 species, includes squirrels, dormice, mice, rats, gerbils, beavers, ground squirrels, kangaroo hoppers, porcupines, striders and many others. All these tiny, furry animals have teeth: one pair of incisors in the upper and lower jaws? and a large gap (called a diastema) located between the incisors and molars. The incisors grow continuously and are constantly used to grind food.

Hyraxes

Bruce's hyrax

Hyraxes are stout, short-legged, herbivorous mammals that look a bit like a cross between a domestic cat and a rabbit. There are four (according to some sources five) species of hyraxes: tree hyrax, western hyrax, Cape hyrax and Bruce hyrax, all of which are native to Africa and the Middle East.

One of the most strange features hyraxes is their relative lack of internal temperature regulation; They are warm-blooded, like all mammals, but at night they gather in groups to keep warm, and during the day they warm up in the sun for a long time, like reptiles.

Lagomorpha

Even after centuries of study, scientists are still not sure what to do with hares, rabbits and pikas. These small mammals are similar to rodents, but have some important differences: lagomorphs have four, rather than two, incisors in the upper jaw, and they are strict vegetarians, whereas mice, rats and other rodents tend to be .

Lagomorphs can be identified by their short tails, long ears, slit-like nostrils which they can close, and (in some species) a strong tendency to move by jumping.

Caguanas

Malayan woolwing

Never heard of kaguans? And this is possible, because on our planet there are only two living species of woolly wings left, which live in dense jungles South-East Asia. Caguans have a wide membrane of skin that connects all the limbs, tail and neck, which allows them to glide from one tree to another, a distance of about 60 m.

Oddly enough, molecular analysis has demonstrated that caguans are the closest living relatives of our own order of mammals, the primates, but their parenting behavior is most similar to marsupials!

Cetaceans

The order includes almost a hundred species and is divided into two main suborders: toothed whales (including sperm whales, beaked whales, killer whales, as well as dolphins and porpoises) and baleen whales(smooth, gray, dwarf and striped whales).

These mammals are characterized by their flipper-like forelimbs, reduced hind limbs, streamlined bodies, and a massive head that extends into a “beak.” Cetacean blood is unusually rich in hemoglobin, and this adaptation allows them to remain underwater for long periods of time.

Odd-toed ungulates

Compared to their equivalent artiodactyl cousins, they are a rare order, consisting exclusively of horses, zebras, rhinoceroses and tapirs - about 20 species in total. They are characterized by an odd number of fingers, as well as a very long intestine and a single-chamber stomach containing specialized ones that help digest tough vegetation. Oddly enough, according to molecular analysis, equid mammals may be more closely related to carnivores (order Carnivora) than to artiodactyl mammals.

Monotreme or oviparous

These are the most bizarre mammals on our planet. They include two families: platypus and echidnaidae. These females do not give birth to live young. Monotremes are also equipped with cloacas (a single opening for urination, defecation and reproduction), they are completely toothless and have electroreceptors, thanks to which they can sense weak electrical signals from afar. Scientists believe that monotremes are from an ancestor living in, which preceded the split of placental and marsupial mammals, hence their uniqueness.

Pangolins

Steppe lizard

Also known as pangolins, pangolins have large, horny, diamond-shaped scales (made of keratin, the same protein as human hair) that overlap and cover their bodies. When these creatures are threatened by predators, they curl into tight balls, and if they feel threatened, they emit a foul-smelling liquid from their anal glands. Pangolins are native to Africa and Asia, and are almost never found in the Western Hemisphere except in zoos.

Artiodactyls

Mountain goat

They are placental mammals that have developed third and fourth toes, covered with a thick, horny hoof. Even-toed ungulates include fauna such as cows, goats, deer, sheep, antelope, camels, llamas, pigs, etc., accounting for about 200 species worldwide. Almost all artiodactyls are herbivores (with the exception of omnivorous pigs and peccaries); some members of the order, like cows, goats and sheep, are ruminants (mammals equipped with additional stomachs).

Primates

Pygmy marmoset

It includes about 400 species and in many respects its representatives can be considered the most “advanced” mammals on the planet, especially with regard to the size of their brains. Non-human primates often form complex social units and are capable of using tools, and some species have dexterous hands and prehensile tails. There is no single feature that defines all primates as a group, but these mammals have common features, such as binocular vision, hair, limbs with five fingers, fingernails, developed cerebral hemispheres, etc.

Jumpers

Short-eared jumper

Hoppers are small, long-nosed, insectivorous mammals native to Africa. Currently, there are about 16 species of jumpers, which are grouped into 4 genera, such as: proboscis blennies, forest jumpers, long-eared jumpers and short-eared jumpers. The classification of these small mammals has been the subject of debate; in the past they were presented as close relatives of ungulate mammals, lagomorphs, insectivores and tree shrews (recent molecular evidence suggests a relationship with elephants).

Chiroptera

Spectacled flying fox

Representatives of the order are the only mammals that are capable of active flight. The order Chiroptera includes about a thousand species, divided into two main suborders: Megachiroptera(mergans) and Microchiroptera(the bats).

Fruit bats also known as flying foxes, have a large body size relative to bats, and eat only fruits; Bats are much smaller and have a more varied diet, ranging from the blood of grazing animals, insects, and flower nectar. Most bats, and very few fruit bats, have the ability to echolocate - that is, they pick up high-frequency sound waves from environment to navigate in dark caves and tunnels.

Sirens

The semi-marine mammals known as pinnipeds (including seals, sea lions and walruses) are in the order Carnivores (see below), but dugongs and manatees belong to their own order Sirena. The name of this unit is associated with the sirens from Greek mythology. Apparently starving Greek sailors mistook dugongs for mermaids!

Sirens are characterized by their lobed tails, almost vestigial hind limbs, and muscular forelimbs that allow them to control their bodies underwater. Modern dugongs and manatees have small body sizes, but are nevertheless members of a recently extinct family sea ​​cows may have weighed up to 10 tons.

Marsupials

An infraclass of mammals that, unlike placental mammals, do not carry their young in the womb, but incubate them in specialized pouches after an extremely short interval of internal pregnancy. Everyone is familiar with kangaroos, koalas and wombats, but possums are also marsupials, and for millions of years the largest marsupials on Earth lived in South America.

In Australia, marsupials managed to displace placental mammals for most of the year, the only exceptions being the jerboa mice, which made their way from Southeast Asia, as well as dogs, cats and livestock introduced to the continent by European settlers.

Aardvarks

Aardvark

The aardvark is the only living species in the order Aardvarks. This mammal is characterized by its long snout, arched back and coarse fur, and its diet consists mainly of ants and termites, which it preys on by tearing apart insect nests with its long claws.

Aardvarks live in forests and grasslands south of the Sahara, their range extends from southern Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope, in the south of the continent. The aardvark's closest living relatives are artiodactyls and (somewhat surprisingly) whales!

Tupaii

Indonesian tupaya

This order includes 20 species of tupai that are native to tropical forests South-East Asia. Representatives of this order are omnivores, and eat everything from insects to small animals, and flowers such as. Ironically, they have the highest brain-to-body ratio of any living mammal (including humans).

Predatory

and domestic cats), but also hyenas, civets and mongooses.

Canids include dogs, wolves, as well as bears, raccoons and many other carnivores, including seals, sea ​​lions and walruses. As you may have guessed, carnivores are characterized by sharp teeth and claws; they also possess at least four toes on each foot.

Proboscis

Savannah elephant

You may be surprised to learn that all the worlds from the order are divided into only three species (or according to some sources two): African savannah elephant, African forest elephant and Indian elephant.

Mammals are the most highly organized class of vertebrates. They are characterized by a highly developed nervous system (due to an increase in the volume of the cerebral hemispheres and the formation of the cortex); relatively constant body temperature; four-chambered heart; the presence of a diaphragm - a muscular septum separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities; development of the young in the mother's body and feeding with milk (see Fig. 85). The body of mammals is often covered with fur. The mammary glands appear as modified sweat glands. The teeth of mammals are unique. They are differentiated, their number, shape and function differ significantly among different groups and serve as a systematic feature.

The body is divided into head, neck and torso. Many have a tail. Animals have the most perfect skeleton, the basis of which is the spinal column. It is divided into 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 6 lumbar, 3-4 fused sacral and caudal vertebrae, the number of the latter varies. Mammals have well-developed senses: smell, touch, vision, hearing. There is an auricle. The eyes are protected by two eyelids with eyelashes.

With the exception of oviparous mammals, all mammals bear their young in uterus- a special muscular organ. The cubs are born alive and are fed milk. Offspring of mammals to a greater extent needs further care than other animals.

All of these characteristics allowed mammals to gain a dominant position in the animal world. They are found all over the globe.

The appearance of mammals is very diverse and is determined by their habitat: aquatic animals have a streamlined body shape, flippers or fins; land dwellers have well-developed limbs and a dense body. In the inhabitants of the air, the front pair of limbs are transformed into wings. A highly developed nervous system allows mammals to better adapt to environmental conditions and promotes the development of numerous conditioned reflexes.

The class of mammals is divided into three subclasses: oviparous, marsupials and placentals.

1. Oviparous, or primal beasts. These animals are the most primitive mammals. Unlike other representatives of this class, they lay eggs, but feed their young with milk (Fig. 90). They have preserved the cloaca - a part of the intestine into which three systems open - digestive, excretory and reproductive. Therefore they are also called monotreme. In other animals these systems are separated. Oviparous species are found only in Australia. These include only four species: echidnas (three species) and the platypus.

2. Marsupials more highly organized, but they are also characterized by primitive features (see Fig. 90). They give birth to live, but underdeveloped young, practically embryos. These tiny cubs crawl into a pouch on the mother's belly, where, feeding on her milk, they complete their development.

Rice. 90. Mammals: oviparous: 1 - echidna; 2 - platypus; marsupials: 3 - opossum; 4 - koala; 5 - dwarf marsupial squirrel; 6 - kangaroo; 7 - marsupial wolf

Australia is home to kangaroos, marsupial mice, squirrels, anteaters (nambats), marsupial bears(koala), badgers (wombats). The most primitive marsupials live in Central and South America. This is an opossum, a marsupial wolf.

3. Placental animals have a well developed placenta- an organ attached to the wall of the uterus and performs the function of exchanging nutrients and oxygen between the mother’s body and the embryo.

Placental mammals are divided into 16 orders. These include Insectivores, Chiroptera, Rodents, Lagomorphs, Carnivores, Pinnipeds, Cetaceans, Ungulates, Proboscideans, and Primates.

Insectivores mammals, which include moles, shrews, hedgehogs, etc., are considered the most primitive among placentals (Fig. 91). These are quite small animals. The number of teeth they have is from 26 to 44, the teeth are undifferentiated.

Chiroptera- the only flying animals among animals. They are mainly crepuscular and nocturnal animals that feed on insects. These include fruit bats, bats, noctule bats, and vampires. Vampires are bloodsuckers; they feed on the blood of other animals. The bats have echolocation. Although their eyesight is poor, due to their well-developed hearing, they catch the echo of their own squeak reflected from objects.

Rodents- the most numerous order among mammals (about 40% of all animal species). These are rats, mice, squirrels, gophers, marmots, beavers, hamsters and many others (see Fig. 91). Characteristic feature Rodents have well-developed incisors. They have no roots, grow throughout their lives, wear down, and have no fangs. All rodents are herbivores.

Rice. 91. Mammals: insectivores: 1 - shrew; 2 - mole; 3 - tupaya; rodents: 4 - jerboa, 5 - marmot, 6 - nutria; lagomorphs: 7 - brown hare, 8 - chinchilla

Close to rodents squad lagomorphs(see Fig. 91). They have a similar tooth structure and also eat plant matter. These include hares and rabbits.

To the squad predatory belongs to more than 240 species of animals (Fig. 92). Their incisors are poorly developed, but they have powerful fangs and carnassial teeth, used for tearing animal flesh. Predators feed on animal and mixed food. The order is divided into several families: canids (dog, wolf, fox), bears ( polar bear, Brown bear), felids (cat, tiger, lynx, lion, cheetah, panther), mustelids (marten, mink, sable, ferret), etc. Some predators are characterized by hibernation(the Bears).

Pinnipeds They are also predatory animals. They have adapted to life in water and have specific features: streamlined body, limbs turned into flippers. The teeth are poorly developed, with the exception of the fangs, so they only grab food and swallow it without chewing. They are excellent swimmers and divers. They feed mainly on fish. They breed on land, along seashores or on ice floes. The order includes seals, walruses, seals, sea lions, etc. (see Fig. 92).

Rice. 92. Mammals: carnivores: 1 - sable; 2 - jackal; 3 - lynx; 4 - black bear; pinnipeds: 5 - harp seal; 6 - walrus; ungulates: 7 - horse; 8 - hippopotamus; 9 - reindeer; primates: 10 - marmoset; 11 - gorilla; 12 - baboon

To the squad cetaceans also include inhabitants of the waters, but, unlike pinnipeds, they never go onto land and give birth to their young in the water. Their limbs have turned into fins, and their body shape resembles fish. These animals mastered water for the second time, and in connection with this they acquired many features characteristic of aquatic life. However, they retained the main features of the class. They breathe atmospheric oxygen through their lungs. Cetaceans include whales and dolphins. The blue whale is the largest of all modern animals (length 30 m, weight up to 150 tons).

Ungulates are divided into two orders: equids and artiodactyls.

1. TO equid include horses, tapirs, rhinoceroses, zebras, donkeys. Their hooves are modified middle fingers, the remaining fingers are reduced to varying degrees in various types. Ungulates have well-developed molars, as they feed on plant foods, chewing and grinding them.

2. U artiodactyls the third and fourth toes are well developed, transformed into hooves, which bear the entire weight of the body. These are giraffes, deer, cows, goats, sheep. Many of them are ruminants and have a complex stomach.

To the squad proboscidea belong to the largest of land animals - elephants. They live only in Africa and Asia. The trunk is an elongated nose fused with the upper lip. Elephants do not have tusks, but their powerful incisors have turned into tusks. In addition, they have well-developed molars that grind plant foods. Elephants change these teeth 6 times during their life. Elephants are very voracious. One elephant can eat up to 200 kg of hay per day.

Primates combine up to 190 species (see Fig. 92). All representatives are characterized by a five-fingered limb, grasping hands, and nails instead of claws. The eyes are directed forward (primates have developed binocular vision).
|§ 64. Birds

The most successful group in the animal kingdom are mammals. In this article we will briefly talk about the characteristics of these animals, clarify which orders belong to mammals, and determine their habitats.

Features of mammals

This class of vertebrates belongs to the superclass of tetrapods, in which there are about 5.5 thousand species, including Homo sapiens. The main feature of the representatives of the “Mammals” group is feeding their young with milk.
In addition, there are the following signs:

• warm-blooded;
• live birth;
• the body is covered with hair, sweat and sebaceous glands, and horny formations are developed;
• the skull has a zygomatic arch;
• the spine is clearly divided into five sections;
• vertebrae of platycelial type;
• the subcutaneous muscles are highly developed, there is a diaphragm;
• a highly developed nervous system, which allows you to quickly respond to stimuli from the external environment;
• special structure of the hearing organ;
• the lungs have an alveolar structure;
• the heart is four chambered, the blood circulation is divided into two circles;
• unique structure of jaws and teeth.

The physiology of mammals is not particularly different from other four-legged representatives, but due to high development In some organ systems, this class is considered the highest highly organized among animals.

The Latin name of this class is Mammalia, which is derived from the Latin “mamma” – breast, udder. Russian word“mammals” means those that feed milk.

Spreading

Representatives of the class can be found everywhere. The only places where there are no mammals are deep ocean and Antarctica, although seals and whales can be found off its coast.

Many subtypes are limited in distribution due to their attachment to environmental conditions. For many animals, temperature, soil and orographic conditions, as well as the availability of food are important.

The separate class “Mammals” was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. At that time, there were 184 species; in modern times, all species are divided into 26-29 orders, which consist of 153 families, divided into 1229 genera.

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According to the traditional classification, this class of vertebrates is divided into the subclasses “Primal Beasts” (Prototheria) and “Beasts” (Theria). The latter, in turn, are divided into two infraclasses: Marsupials and Placentals.

Rice. 1. Classification.

Description of orders of mammals

All representatives of the class are quite diverse in external signs. The traditional body structure, which consists of a head, neck, torso, two pairs of limbs and a tail, varies in the ratio of shapes and sizes. So, a striking example of such variations can be Long neck giraffe, and whales lacking necks.

Rice. 2. External structure.

The order Chiroptera is very different from other mammals due to the transformation of the forelimbs into wings. Due to this, in the popular classification, bats were classified as birds.

The record holders for body size and weight are: the dwarf shrew (weight up to 1.7 g, length up to 4.5 cm), savannah elephant (weight up to 5 tons, shoulder height up to 4 m), blue whale (length - 33 m, weight - up to 1.5 t).

The list of mammals in Russia includes about 300 species. You can see their list in the following table:

Squad	Family	Genus	Representatives
			Common flying squirrel
			Common squirrel
		Chipmunks	Asian chipmunk
			Long-tailed ground squirrel, Caucasian ground squirrel
			Steppe, Kamchatka, Altai marmot
		Hazel, forest, garden dormouse
		Sleepyheads	Sonya the Regiment
	Beavers		Canadian beaver, river beaver
	Mousebirds		Forest mouse, steppe mouse, Caucasian mouse, etc.
	Jerboa	Jerboas	Large and small jerboas
	Mole rats		Common mole rat, Ural
	Hamsters		Common hamster
		Mole voles	Mole voles
			Forest, Siberian, Promethean voles
		Oriental, forest, house mice	Field, small, forest, house mice
			Gray and black rats
Lagomorpha	Zaitsevy		Brown hare, mountain hare, bush hare
			Wild rabbit
			Altai, northern, small pika
Insectivores		Common hedgehogs	European hedgehog
		Eared hedgehogs	long eared hedgehog
	Moles	Common moles
		Muskrat	Russian muskrat
	Shrews	Shrews	Siberian, long-tailed shrew
		Shrews	Far Eastern, giant, and average shrews
Chiroptera	Horseshoe-nosed	Horseshoe bats	Southern, great horseshoe bat
	Smooth-nosed		Long-eared, Amur bat
		Vechernitsy	Red-haired, oriental noctule
			Desert leather, leather jackets
	Raccoons		Raccoon
		Raccoon dogs	Raccoon dog
		Wolves and dogs	Jackal, wolf
			Fox, corsac dog
	Bearish		White, brown bear
	Marten		Kharza, sable, martens
		Caresses and hori	Weasel, ermine
			Forest, steppe cat
Odd-toed ungulates	Equine		wild Horse
Artiodactyls			A wild boar
		Deer, roe deer, moose	Reindeer, European roe deer, elk
	Bovids	Mountain goats, sheep	Siberian goat, mountain sheep
Cetaceans	Dolphinidae	Common dolphins, killer whales, whales	Dolphins, killer whales, whales

Rice. 3. Diversity of mammals.

What have we learned?

The most highly developed group of animals are mammals. Representatives of this class can be found everywhere. They gained a leading position due to a number of their physiological and external features. Their main characteristics are feeding their offspring with milk, as well as being warm-blooded.

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IN primary school you need to create different presentations that are designed to develop children. One of the topics of such a presentation is about which animals belong to mammals. Let's look at the main representatives.

Presentation on the topic of mammals for children

Bats and bears, monkeys and moles, kangaroos and whales - all these animals belong to the group of mammals, humans are also mammals, as are most domestic and farm animals - cats, dogs, cows, sheep, goats, etc. There are about 4,500 species of mammals on our planet.

Strange mammal

This amazing mammal — giant anteater- lives in forests South America. It feeds exclusively on ants and termites. The anteater tears apart insect nests with sharp claws and licks the prey with a long sticky tongue that extends 60 centimeters in length!

Whales, dolphins and seals are aquatic mammals. Unlike other animals, they have no hair, and a thick layer of subcutaneous fat protects them from hypothermia.

Miniature creatures

One of the smallest mammals - . This Mexican leaf-nosed insect, for example, is not the size more shemale(about 2 centimeters).

Good girl!

The brain of mammals is much better developed than that of all other animals. The most intelligent living creatures after humans are monkeys. Some of them use simple tools: for example, chimpanzees remove termites from their nests with a stick.

For comparison

The blue whale is the most large mammal on the ground. Even such a land giant as the elephant looks very small in comparison (see picture below).

MAMMALS AND THEIR CHILDREN

Mammals are the only animals that feed their young with milk. Babies are born completely helpless and require constant care. A baby chimpanzee, for example, stays with its mother until it is six years old.

Giant Cub

U blue whale, the largest mammal on Earth, the largest baby is born: the length of the newborn reaches 6-8 meters. The female whale has very nutritious milk, so the baby grows quickly.

Oviparous mammals

Some mammals lay eggs that later hatch into young. One of these unusual animals is one living in Australia. It has a bird-like beak and webbed feet. Baby platypuses suck milk, licking it from their mother's fur.

Marsupials

Kangaroos and koalas are marsupial mammals. Their cubs are born not fully formed and continue to develop in a special pouch on the mother’s stomach. Here the babies suckle and stay until they can take care of themselves.

1. A newborn baby kangaroo climbs into a pocket

2. In his pocket he sucks mother's milk

3. The cub is kept in the pocket until it becomes covered with fur and can take care of itself

Caring for offspring

Most mammals care for their young for some time after birth. Babies, like this cheetah's, are usually entirely dependent on their mother - she feeds and protects them. When the cubs grow up, the mother teaches them to hunt and avoid danger.

This material can be used to answer children's questions about animals, as well as about which animals are mammals. In elementary school, this material will be like a presentation on the topic of mammals. Children, having become familiar with this concept as mammals, when presenting their presentation in class, will have to tell in their own words everything that they have learned. Therefore, do not forget to let your child not only read our article, but also retell what he remembers.