Mammals

Humans have had a relationship with animals throughout recorded history. We have used animals for work, for companionship, and worshipped them as gods. Animals have provided us with food and having animals has always been a sign of prosperity. There are many different kinds of animals, all of which have had many different kinds of relationships with man. Some of the more notable relationships are:

Mammals

Mammals have long since been of use to man, whether it is for work, companionship, or food. Mammals can be identified from other species of the animal kingdom by noting the presence of mammary (milk) glands, they breath air, they are bearers of live young and care for their young until mature, mammals are warm-blooded, and have brains capable of intelligence. Humans belong to this group of animals.

Mammals are highly adapted to their environments, browserspiele online whether it is land or water. Some have toes that have developed claws or hooves to assist in running, climbing or hunting. Mammals that live in the ocean developed fins in place of legs to assist in swimming. The largest known mammals are ocean dwelling.

Mammals have also adapted their diets to their environments, with many mammals being omnivorous, though they likely evolved from carnivorous ancestors.

Mammals have existed alongside man to the beginnings of recorded history. Most notably, domesticated dogs, cats, horses, and cattle have had a long history of providing food and labor to man. Dogs are thought to have been descendants from the gray wolf and domesticated approximately 15,000, though most dogs look nothing like their ancestors today. Cats are a relative newcomer, only having been thought to have been domesticated for about 9,500 years. Cats are a highly intelligent species and skilled hunters and are highly valued for their predation ability and rid households of many unwanted pests. Horses have been the backbone of human labor since the beginnings of domestication, around 4000 B.C. Horses are one of the most widely distributed domestic animals, with over 8 million recorded in China alone. This animal has been voted as the #4 favorite animals, behind the dog and cat. Cattle have been used by man primary as a food provider. Cattle have been raised for their meat, their milk and their skins for clothing.

Some fun facts to know about mammals:
1. Mammals are the only order of animals that have cartilage or skin around their ears
2. In order to be classified as a mammal, the animal must have a backbone
3. Currently, there are over 4,000 identified members of the mammalian order, though new species are being discovered all the time
4. The mighty Blue Whale is the largest documented mammal on the books today, and the Kitti’s hog nosed bat is by far the smallest.