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 Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), also referred to simply as 'the devil', is a
carnivorousmarsupial now found in the wild only in the Australian island
state of
Tasmania. The Tasmanian devil is the only extant member of the
genusSarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian devil is now the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world (after the recent
extinction of the
thylacine in 1936). It is characterised by its black fur, offensive odour when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and viciousness when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge
carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils. The Tasmanian devil became
extirpated on the Australian mainland about 400 years before
European settlement in 1788. Because they were seen as a threat to
livestock in Tasmania, devils were hunted until 1941, when they became officially protected. Since the late 1990s
devil facial tumour disease has reduced the devil population significantly and now threatens the survival of the species, which may soon be listed as
endangered. Programs are currently being undertaken by the
Tasmanian government to reduce the impact of the disease.
...from its discovery by
John Edward Gray in 1850 until a re-assessment in 1981, the Clymene Dolphin was regarded as sub-species of the Spinner Dolphin.
...the Australian Snubfin Dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni) is a recently recognised species of dolphin first described in 2005.
Dik-diks are
antelopes in the
genusMadoqua which can be found in the bushlands of eastern and southern Africa. These herbivores, named for the females' alarm calls, are quite small, measuring only 30–40 cm (12–16 in) at the shoulder, 50–70 cm (20–28 in) in length, and 3–6 kg (7–16 lb) in weight.
Several female black-faced impala drinking at a
waterhole. Impalas are
sexually dimorphic. Females can weigh 10 to 25 kilograms (22 to 55 lb) less than males and do not have horns.
The term African elephant refers to
elephants of the genus Loxodonta. Shown here is the
African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), one of two
extant species and the largest living terrestrial animal, with males standing 3.2–4.0 m (10.5–13.1 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighing 4,700–6,048 kg (10,362–13,334 lb).
The Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a widespread, medium-sized,
omnivorousmammal of
North America. It has black facial colorings around the eyes, and has a bushy tail with light and dark alternating rings. The coat is a mixture of gray, brown, and black fur. The characteristic eye colorings make the animal look like it is wearing a "bandit's mask," which has enhanced the animal's reputation for mischief, vandalism, and thievery.
The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a medium-sized
retrieverdog breed that originated in southwestern
Nova Scotia, Canada. It is named for its ability to lure
waterfowl within gunshot range, called "tolling". It is particularly suited for retrieving in cold water climates because of its water-repellent double coat.
The skull of the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), a large African bovine. It has a long but stocky body and short but thickset legs, resulting in a relatively short standing height. The adult bull’s horns, as shown here, have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield known as a "boss".
A female cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) on the
Phinda Private Game Reserve,
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cheetahs accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 km/h) in less than 3 seconds and average 40 mph (64 km/h) during a chase. The species is classified as
vulnerable, with only 7,000 left in the wild.
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 Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a
carnivorousmarsupial found in the wild only on the Australian island of
Tasmania. It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odour, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. Its large head and neck allow it to generate the strongest bite per unit body mass of any living mammal.
The head of a Rothschild's Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), a
subspecies of giraffe found in
Uganda and north-central
Kenya. It has deep brown, blotched or rectangular spots with poorly defined cream lines and its
hocks may be spotted.
The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a
subspecies of the
wildcat. It is native to the forests and grasslands of Europe, as well as
Turkey and the
Caucasus Mountains. Bulkier than both the
African wildcat and the
domestic cat, the European wildcat is also distinguished by its thick fur and non-tapered tail. Though it is predominantly nocturnal, the European wildcat may be active in the daytime in the absence of humans.
A juvenile Bennett's Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus), a
subspecies of the Red-necked Wallaby, on
Maria Island, east of
Tasmania. Red-necked Wallabies can be found in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia. They can weigh 13.8 to 18.6 kg (30 to 41 lb) and attain a head–body length of 90 cm (35 in), with the island version slightly smaller.
This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by
JL-Bot (
talk·contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is
tagged (e.g. {{
WikiProject Mammals}}) or
categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See
WP:RECOG for configuration options.
A complete list of scientific WikiProjects can be found
here. See also
Wikispecies, a Wikimedia project dedicated to classification of biological species.
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 Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), also referred to simply as 'the devil', is a
carnivorousmarsupial now found in the wild only in the Australian island
state of
Tasmania. The Tasmanian devil is the only extant member of the
genusSarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian devil is now the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world (after the recent
extinction of the
thylacine in 1936). It is characterised by its black fur, offensive odour when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and viciousness when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge
carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils. The Tasmanian devil became
extirpated on the Australian mainland about 400 years before
European settlement in 1788. Because they were seen as a threat to
livestock in Tasmania, devils were hunted until 1941, when they became officially protected. Since the late 1990s
devil facial tumour disease has reduced the devil population significantly and now threatens the survival of the species, which may soon be listed as
endangered. Programs are currently being undertaken by the
Tasmanian government to reduce the impact of the disease.
...from its discovery by
John Edward Gray in 1850 until a re-assessment in 1981, the Clymene Dolphin was regarded as sub-species of the Spinner Dolphin.
...the Australian Snubfin Dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni) is a recently recognised species of dolphin first described in 2005.
Dik-diks are
antelopes in the
genusMadoqua which can be found in the bushlands of eastern and southern Africa. These herbivores, named for the females' alarm calls, are quite small, measuring only 30–40 cm (12–16 in) at the shoulder, 50–70 cm (20–28 in) in length, and 3–6 kg (7–16 lb) in weight.
Several female black-faced impala drinking at a
waterhole. Impalas are
sexually dimorphic. Females can weigh 10 to 25 kilograms (22 to 55 lb) less than males and do not have horns.
The term African elephant refers to
elephants of the genus Loxodonta. Shown here is the
African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), one of two
extant species and the largest living terrestrial animal, with males standing 3.2–4.0 m (10.5–13.1 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighing 4,700–6,048 kg (10,362–13,334 lb).
The Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a widespread, medium-sized,
omnivorousmammal of
North America. It has black facial colorings around the eyes, and has a bushy tail with light and dark alternating rings. The coat is a mixture of gray, brown, and black fur. The characteristic eye colorings make the animal look like it is wearing a "bandit's mask," which has enhanced the animal's reputation for mischief, vandalism, and thievery.
The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a medium-sized
retrieverdog breed that originated in southwestern
Nova Scotia, Canada. It is named for its ability to lure
waterfowl within gunshot range, called "tolling". It is particularly suited for retrieving in cold water climates because of its water-repellent double coat.
The skull of the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), a large African bovine. It has a long but stocky body and short but thickset legs, resulting in a relatively short standing height. The adult bull’s horns, as shown here, have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield known as a "boss".
A female cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) on the
Phinda Private Game Reserve,
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cheetahs accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 km/h) in less than 3 seconds and average 40 mph (64 km/h) during a chase. The species is classified as
vulnerable, with only 7,000 left in the wild.
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 Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a
carnivorousmarsupial found in the wild only on the Australian island of
Tasmania. It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odour, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. Its large head and neck allow it to generate the strongest bite per unit body mass of any living mammal.
The head of a Rothschild's Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), a
subspecies of giraffe found in
Uganda and north-central
Kenya. It has deep brown, blotched or rectangular spots with poorly defined cream lines and its
hocks may be spotted.
The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a
subspecies of the
wildcat. It is native to the forests and grasslands of Europe, as well as
Turkey and the
Caucasus Mountains. Bulkier than both the
African wildcat and the
domestic cat, the European wildcat is also distinguished by its thick fur and non-tapered tail. Though it is predominantly nocturnal, the European wildcat may be active in the daytime in the absence of humans.
A juvenile Bennett's Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus), a
subspecies of the Red-necked Wallaby, on
Maria Island, east of
Tasmania. Red-necked Wallabies can be found in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia. They can weigh 13.8 to 18.6 kg (30 to 41 lb) and attain a head–body length of 90 cm (35 in), with the island version slightly smaller.
This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by
JL-Bot (
talk·contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is
tagged (e.g. {{
WikiProject Mammals}}) or
categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See
WP:RECOG for configuration options.
A complete list of scientific WikiProjects can be found
here. See also
Wikispecies, a Wikimedia project dedicated to classification of biological species.