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General
Mammal Information
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Mammalogy is the branch of zoology that deals with animals
belonging to the class Mammalia. Two of the characteristics
that distinguish mammals from the other vertebrates are the
presence of hair on at least part of their bodies and the
fact that females nourish their young with milk secreted by
their mammary glands. About 4600 species of living mammals,
divided into 26 orders and 135 families, are currently recognized.
The larger mammals, such as carnivores and ungulates, are
among the most familiar and charismatic of animals, although
the majority of mammal species are small rodents or bats that
go largely unnoticed by most people. Mammals possess morphological,
physiological, and behavioral adaptations for an amazing variety
of habitats and lifestyles. Some mammals spend most of their
time underground or in trees, some are completely aquatic,
some live in extremely arid deserts, and some can even fly.
Mammalogists tend to specialize in the study of the systematics,
anatomy, physiology, ecology, or behavior of a particular
taxonomic group or assemblage of mammals, such as bats, canids,
or desert rodents.
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