Mammals, a diverse group of warm-blooded animals, belong to the vertebrate class and are characterized by the presence of hair, three middle ear bones, and the production of milk for their young. They encompass a wide range of species, from placental mammals, such as humans and other primates, to marsupials, like kangaroos and opossums, and monotremes, including the egg-laying platypus.
Within this category, carnivores, like lions and tigers, feed on meat, while omnivores, such as bears and pigs, consume both plants and animals. Herbivores, including cows and deer, primarily feed on plants. Many mammals are terrestrial animals, inhabiting a variety of ecosystems, from forests to grasslands, while others, like whales and dolphins, are marine mammals, thriving in the world’s oceans.
The mammalian class is incredibly diverse, with over 5,000 species, ranging from the tiny bumblebee bat to the massive blue whale. Primates, rodents, and other mammalian groups exhibit unique characteristics, adaptations, and behaviors, underscoring the complexity and richness of animal classification in zoology.
As an integral part of wildlife and fauna, mammals play vital roles in maintaining ecosystem balance and biodiversity. By exploring and learning about these fascinating creatures, we can better appreciate the intricate relationships within ecosystems and work towards preserving the natural world.
Adult cows have an average body weight of 1,350 kg and an average shoulder height of 144 cm. Adult bulls are larger with an average mass of 1,500 kg and an average shoulder height of 150 cm. The hippopotamus is one of the largest megaherbivores in the world. In order, others are the African elephant, […]
It has been estimated that there may have been as many as 850,000 Black Rhinos in Africa around 1700, and throughout most of the twentieth century, the Black Rhino was still the most numerous of the world’s rhino species. However, relentless hunting of the species and clearance of land for settlement and agriculture have led
JAVAN RHINO – Rhinoceros sondaicus CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ~72; POPULATION STABLE Javan rhinos exist only in Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia, where they are protected by the Rhino Protection Units. The population increased in number from 68 to 72 in 2019. They travel through the jungle, staying near rivers and streams. Like most others, the
Rhinoceroses are large-bodied, pachydermatous animals, endowed with one or two nasal horns consisting of aggregations of keratin fibers. The skin consists of a heavily keratinized and pigmented epidermis (about 1 mm thick) and a dense dermis (about 18-20 mm thick) composed of pure collagen fibers. A covering of very sparse hairs is found in some
Diceros is a polytypic genus, represented by a single extant species, the Black Rhinoceros – Diceros bicornis. This species once was widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, from Niger R. to the west in Somalia to the northeast and to the south in South Africa. It was never found in the Congolese rainforests. The animal exists in
White Rhino – Ceratotherium simum There are several theories to explain the origin of the name ‘white .from the Afrikaans ‘wyd’ or Dutch ‘wijd’ (meaning wide) not a color, as they are not white at all. There are the folds of skin near the top of the forelimbs, and in the flank where the upper
Although poaching is a potential threat to rhinos, no incidents of poaching have been reported since the 1990s due to effective law enforcement by the Park Authority and initiatives such as the Protection Unit and Monitoring of Rhinoceroses (RMPU) and the Coastal Patrol. The immediate threats to the Javan rhino population come from reduced genetic
The main threat to the population of the white rhinos is illegal hunting (poaching) to fuel the illegal international trade in rhinos. It is estimated that around 95% of rhino horn is currently sourced from Africa for illegal end markets in Southeast Asia. Rhinoceros horn has traditionally had two main uses: use in Chinese medicine
In southern Africa, White Rhinos are typically associated with drier forms of savanna woodland, with mean annual rainfall under750 mm. In Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park they favor thornveld dominated by Acacia spp., but in Kruger N. P. they have settled abundantly in broadleaf savanna on granitic soils where Combretum spp. predominate. They have never been recorded in
Hunting and poaching Hunting by European settlers was the main cause of the decline of rhino populations in Africa in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Reports of five or six rhinos being killed in one day by single hunting, for food, or just for fun, were common. By the 1890s, southern white rhino numbers