The basic mammalian body type is quadruped, and most mammals use their four extremities for terrestrial locomotion; but in some, the extremities are adapted for life at sea, in the air, in trees, underground, or on two legs. Mammals range in size from the 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) bumblebee bat to the 30 m (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 are egg-laying mammals. The most species-rich group of mammals, the infraclass called placentals, have a placenta, which enables the feeding of the fetus 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 Scarlett the cat is a former stray cat whose efforts to save her kittens from a fire, at serious harm to herself, attracted worldwide media attention and has been related in a number of nonfiction books?
...that Dr. Johnson's cat Hodge has his own statue in Gough Square, London?
The common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is one of three species of wombat. It is native to south-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania, and grows to an average of 98 cm (39 in) long and a weight of 26 kg (57 lb). It is solitary and lives in an underground burrow.
Off the coast of Juneau, Alaska, a group of 15 Humpback Whales works in tandem to catch herring using the bubble net feeding technique, in which they exhale through their blowholes, creating a ring of bubbles up to 30 m (100 ft) in diameter. The whales then suddenly swim upwards through the bubble net swallowing thousands of fish in each gulp.
The southern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus dussumieri) is a species of Old World monkey native to the Indian subcontinent. It is about 62 cm (24 in) tall and lives in groups in various forest habitats, feeding mainly on leaves, fruit and flowers in the canopy, supplementing these with insects, gum, grasses, herbs and roots. The monkeys are considered sacred in India, and some are used by Hindu priests for religious purposes. They have adapted to living in close proximity to humans in urban settings; they are often fed by humans and accept cakes, millet, and other foods. The species is protected by law in India, but some are still persecuted for damaging crops, hunted for food and captured for pets.
This photograph of a female southern plains gray langur was taken in Kanha Tiger Reserve, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The park was created on 1 June 1955 and was designated a tiger reserve in 1973.
The llama (Lama glama) is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. A full-grown llama can reach a height of 1.7 to 1.8 metres (5 ft 7 in to 5 ft 11 in) at the top of the head, and can weigh between 130 and 200 kilograms (290 and 440 lb). At birth, a baby llama (known as a cria) can weigh between 9 and 14 kilograms (20 and 31 lb). Llamas typically live for 15 to 25 years, with some individuals surviving 30 years or more. This photograph shows a dam (female llama) and her cria at Laguna Colorada in Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, Bolivia.
The roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) is a species of savanna antelope found in western, central and southern Africa. Named for its reddish-brown coat, it has a black face with white patches around the eyes and the mouth, and a short erect mane of greyish brown hair extending from the back of the neck to the rump. This roan antelope, of the subspeciesH. e. koba, was photographed in Senegal; the subspecies's range extends from Senegal to Benin in western Africa.
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.
The eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) is a marsupial whose natural range includes south-eastern Australia (where it has been extirpated) and the eastern part of Tasmania. Sometimes referred to as a "rat-kangaroo", it is relatively small, rarely exceeding 2 kg (4.4 lb), but will travel up to 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from its nest to find food.
The tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) is a subspecies of elk found only in California, seen here at Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore. When Europeans arrived in the area, an estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed these regions, but the animals were thought to have been hunted to extinction by 1870. A single pair was discovered on the ranch of the cattle baron Henry Miller in 1874. He ordered his men to protect them, and is credited with the survival of the subspecies. As of 2019, the total Californian population is estimated to be 5,700.
A black-tailed prairie dog at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., looks out from a system of burrows, characteristically scanning the horizon. On average, these rodents grow to between 12 and 16 inches (30 and 40 cm) long, including their short tails.
The skull of a black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), a critically endangered species of rhinoceros native to eastern and central Africa. The two horns on the skull are made of keratin, with the larger front horn typically 50 cm (20 in) long. Sometimes, a third, smaller horn may develop.
A female Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), a subspecies of tiger native to Central Asia, and her cub. The Siberian tiger is the largest of the extant tiger subspecies as well as the largest felid, attaining 320 kg (710 lb) in an exceptional specimen. Considered an endangered subspecies, the wild population is down to several hundred individuals and is limited to eastern Siberia.
The northern palm squirrel (Funambulus pennantii) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It has a wide distribution in the Indian subcontinent and Iran, being a semi-arboreal species found in dry deciduous forest and many other rural and urban habitats. It is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of least concern. This northern palm squirrel was photographed in Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
The California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) is a common and easily observed ground squirrel of the western United States and the Baja California peninsula. Their upper parts are mottled, the fur containing a mixture of gray, light brown and dusky hairs. Head and body are about 30 cm (12 in) long and the tail an additional 15 cm (5.9 in).
A portrait of a cheetah at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. Cheetahs have small and streamlined heads. Their ears are small, short, and rounded, marked by black patches on the back and tawny edges. Their high-set eyes have round pupils, while their whiskers are fine and inconspicuous. Their faces have unique "tear streak" markings that may serve to reduce glare or define facial expressions.
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