Mammal Information

What Is a Mammal? Mammals live on land, at sea, in the air, and under the ground. All mammals, from bats to whales, share a number of important traits that make them different from other animals. Mammals are warm-blooded, they have fur or hair, and most mammals give birth to live young (rather than laying eggs).

Attack and Defend For a wild animal, surviving each day can be hard. Carnivores use speed, strength, and intelligence to catch a meal. Prey species often have to think fast to protect themselves. Making a Getaway What would you do if you were being chased by a predator? Probably the same thing most wild animals do: run and hide. Prairie dogs dive into their burrows. Squirrels head for safety in trees. The House Mouse rushes for cover—like behind your refrigerator! Eastern Gray Squirrel © Rod Planck   Kickoff Time! Male Elk and Moose have huge antlers but do not often use them as weapons. Instead, they use their razor-sharp hooves. Predators like Mountain Lions or wolves are close to the ground and easy to kick. Elk © Michael Francis - The Wildlife Collection   Blending In Some mammals have coloring that helps them blend in with their environment. This is called camouflage. The Snowshoe Hare is brown in the summer, white in the winter, and brown and white in the spring when the ground is patched with snow. Snowshoe Hare in its winter coat. © Rod Planck - Photo Researchers, Inc Predators in Action The Mountain Lion is a superb hunter. It can leap more than 20 feet in a single bound and run faster than a deer for short distances. Mountain Lions creep up close to their prey and then leap onto the victim’s back, holding it long enough to deliver a bite on the neck. Mountain Lion © Daniel J. Cox - naturalexposures.com What a Stink! When threatened, skunks launch a stream of rancid eye-burning musk. Most of the time a skunk does not even need to use its weaponry. It simply stomps its feet—the signal that it is ready to spray—and the enemy runs away. Striped Skunk © Daniel J. Cox - naturalexposures.com A Sharp Defense The slow, clumsy porcupine is protected by thousands of quills on its tail and back. The quills are extremely sharp and painful—and can even kill. Common Porcupine© Gerald & Buff Corsi - Focus on Nature, Inc.

Wild Animals R-Z

Mammals R-Z

Rabbit
The rabbit: taking over meadows by leaps and bounds.

 

Raccoon
Who was that masked animal? Perhaps it was this one!

 

Rhinoceros
One animal that has every right to toot its own horn.

 

Sea Lion
Acrobats of the sea or absolute beach bums? You decide!

 

Seal
The seal: sluggish on land, but spectacular in the sea.

 

Skunk
The skunk: one animal that can really raise a stink.

 

Sloth
In the sloth's world, there's no such thing as rush hour.

 

Tasmanian Devil
Tornado of trouble or misunderstood marsupial? Find out!

 

Tiger
The tiger: always en vogue with its one-of-a-kind stripes.

Walrus
Packing the greatest pair of ice picks this side of the equator.

 

Warthog
One pig that's not about to win any beauty contests.

 

Whale
Thar' she blows! Dive into the wonderful world of whales.

 

Wildebeest
The wildebeest: the master of mammalian mass migration.

 

Wolf
Talk about a bad rep! Meet the not-so-big, not-so-bad wolf.

 

Wolverine
It slices! It dices! But wait, there's more! Meet the wolverine.

 

Wombat
Burrowing its way into the hearts of animal lovers everywhere.

 

Zebra
One horse that really likes to stand out. Or is that camouflage?

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Wild Animals L-P

Mammals L-P

Lemur
Have you heard? Ring-tailed is the new black.

Leopard
Covered in spots, yet difficult to spot. Meet the ironic leopard.

Lion
King of the jungle? The lion certainly thinks so!

Lynx
Get to know this fine-tuned, fearsome feline terror.

Manatee
Hey! Who you calling a sea cow? Meet the manatee.

Meerkat
Warning: may cause hardcore fanaticism.

Monkey
Monkeys: too smart for their own good? Maybe!

Moose
That's quite a rack! Behold the awesomely-antlered moose.

Mountain Goat
Solid. Rock solid. Meet the sure-footed mountain goat.

Orangutan
The orangutan: red-headed step child of the primate family?

Orca
What's black and white and swims all over? It's the orca!

Otter
Otters at play! Stand back and try not to look so envious.

Platypus
Dear platypus: Bird? Mammal? Reptile? Pick one! Love, us.

Polar Bear
The polar bear: proving you can wear white after Labor Day.

Porcupine
Known for keeping its predators on pins and needles.

Prairie Dog
Welcome to Tunnel Town dawg! (Or is that "dog"?)

Wild Animals D-K

Mammals D-K

Deer
Wouldn't you be startled by bright headlights too?

 

Dolphin
Inspiring "oops" tattoos on college girls since 1983.

 

Elephant
One animal that never forgets to pack its trunk.

 

Fox
Cute, cunning and undeniably foxey.

 

Gazelle
"Jump around, jump up jump up and get down!"

 

Giant Panda
A top contender or the world's most adorable animal.

 

Giraffe
Hey beanstalk, how's the weather up there?

 

Gorilla
The gorilla: proof that tough exteriors bely tender hearts.

Grizzly Bear
You gonna eat that salmon? How about those berries?

 

Hippopotamus
Move over lions. Meet Africa's most dangerous animal.

 

Horse
Hey horse, why the long face? Get to know the horse.

 

Hyena
What's so funny? Ask this constantly cackling carnivore.

 

Jackal
Jackals: the vultures of the dog world? Not necessarily!

 

Jaguar
Meet this musclebound meat-eater of the Americas.

 

Kangaroo
Spring-loaded hop-a-holic seeks bounce-addicted uber-jumper.

 

Koala
The koala: an adorable bundle of fur, and yet so much more.