Mammalogy
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 5,413 species of living mammals, divided into 30 orders and 149 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.
INHS Mammal Collection Database
Illinois Endangered and Threatened Mammals - Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board
Other Information
Most mammal-related research and projects are listed in INHS Annual Reports.
Our Publications Catalog can be used to search for mammal-related material published at this Survey.
Some past articles published in INHS Reports:
Species Spotlight: Coyotes. Winter 2001
Cost and Controversy in Managing Urban Deer. March-April 2000
Species Spotlight: Little Brown Bat. November-December 1999
Deer in the Suburbs of Chicago. May-June 1999
INHS Mammal Collection. March-April 1999
Species Spotlight: Short-tailed Shrew. January-February 1999
Franklin's Ground Squirrel: An Increasingly Rare Prairie Mammal. January-February 1999
Don't Blame It All on the Raccoons. May-June 1998
Coyotes and Foxes in the Town and Country. March-April 1998
Species Spotlight: Eastern Moles. September-October 1997
What Color Are Your Squirrels. May-June 1997
Raccoon Health Watch. March-April 1997
Species Spotlight: Bobcats. September-October 1996
Can We Restore Elk in Illinois? September-October 1996
Indiana Bats in Illinois. March-April 1996
Species Spotlight: Beavers. March-April 1996
Species Spotlight: Plains pocket gopher. September-October 1995
Coyotes in Cornfields. July-August 1995
Human Noise and Wildlife. January-February 1995