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 walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flipperedmarine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family. It is subdivided into two or three subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (O. rosmarus rosmarus) found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific walrus (O. rosmarus divergens) found in the Pacific Ocean, and a possible third subspecies, O. rosmarus laptevi, found in the Laptev Sea. Walruses are immediately recognizable due to their prominent tusks, whiskers and great bulk. Adult Pacific males can weigh up to 4,500 pounds, and, among pinnipeds, are exceeded in size only by the elephant seals. They reside primarily in shallow oceanic shelf habitat, spending a significant proportion of their lives on sea ice in pursuit of their preferred diet of benthicbivalve mollusks. They are relatively long-lived, social animals and are considered a keystone species in Arctic marine ecosystems. Walruses have played a prominent role in the cultures of many indigenous Arctic peoples, who have hunted walruses for their meat, fat, skin, tusks and bone. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, walruses were the objects of heavy commercial exploitation for blubber and ivory and their numbers declined rapidly. Their global population has since rebounded, though the Atlantic and Laptev sub-population remain fragmented and at historically depressed levels.
...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 Zanzibar red colobus (Procolobus kirkii) is a species of red colobus monkey endemic to Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Brought to attention of Western science by Sir John Kirk, this colobus was first described by John Edward Gray in 1868. It is now considered an endangered species, and extensive conservation efforts have been undertaken since the mid-1990s.
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.
Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) is a species of sloth from Central and South America named for the German naturalist Karl Hoffmann. This solitary, largely nocturnal and arboreal animal, is found in mature and secondary rainforests and deciduous forests. Adults range from 54 to 72 cm (21 to 28 in) in head-body length, and weigh from 2.1 to 9 kg (4.6 to 19.8 lb). Females are larger on average than males, although with considerable overlap in size.
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunni) is a small, rabbit-sized marsupial native to Australia and Tasmania. It weighs less than 1 kg (2.2 lb) and has a short tail and three to four whitish bars across the rump. It is classified as Near Threatened, with one subspecies listed as Critically Endangered.
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 Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is the largest possum species and is perhaps the most widespread mammal in Australia. It grows to about 32–58 cm (13–23 in) in length, with an additional 24–40 cm (9–16 in) for its prehensile tail (seen here hanging below the branch). It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. It is common in cities, having adapted well to human habitation.
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.
A lioness in Ishasha Southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Ishasha lions are famed for tree climbing, a trait only shared with lions in the Lake Manyara region. They often spend the hottest parts of the day in the large fig trees found throughout the area. It is still unclear why so few lions exhibit this behavior.
The lar gibbon (Hylobates lar) is a primate found in South-East Asia. This endangered gibbon species is primarily a frugivore, but may also feed on leaves, flowers, and insects.
An Indian palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) photographed in Bangalore, India. In India these squirrels are associated with the Hindu deity Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, and as such are not to be harmed. However, in Western Australia they are considered pests and at times targeted for eradication.
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